It means that if you add three numbers, it makes no difference whether you add the two left numbers first, or the two right numbers first. For example:
1 + 2 + 3 = (1 + 2) + 3 = 1 + (2 + 3)
where the parentheses indicate what operation is to be done first.
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It means that in an addition such as: a + b + c it doesn't matter whether you do the addition on the left, or the addition on the right, first. Similar for multiplication.
The associative property states that the result of an addition or multiplication sentence will be the same no matter the grouping of the terms. Associative: (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) (a × b) × c = a × (b × c)
it depends wht kind (multiplication, addition)
It means nothing, really. The distributive property is a property of multiplication over addition or subtraction. It has little, if anything, to do with integers.
The order of the 3 numbers won't affect the product. Example: a+b+c=b+a+c* * * * *WRONG!The associative property states that the order in which the operation (of addition) is carried out does not matter.So, (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) and so either can be written as a + b + c without ambiguity.To change the order of the summands required commutativity.For example:Multiplication is also associative and, in the case of matrices,(A * B) * C = A * (B * C) = A * B * CBut B * A need not even exist!Associative property states that the change in grouping of three or more addends or factors does not change their sum or product.