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Math Skills Overview Guide

Associative Property

What does it mean?

Definitions:

For any real numbers a, b and c,
Addition: $$a + (b + c) = (a + b) + c$$ Multiplication: $$a(bc) = (ab)c$$ This law simply states that with addition and multiplication of numbers, you can change the grouping of the numbers in the problem and it will not affect the answer.

Subtraction and division are NOT associative.

 What does it look like?

A general example to help you recognize patterns and spot the information you're looking for

Addition: $$2 + ( 3 + 5 ) = 10$$ $$( 2 + 3 ) + 5 = 10$$ Multiplication: $$2 * ( 3 * 5 ) = 30$$ $$( 2 * 3 ) * 5 = 30$$

You'll use it...

It’s used every day in banking and other business operations.

  Video: Associative Law of Addition

  Video: Associative Law of Multiplication