What is an associative property?

The associative property says that when you add or multiply three or more numbers, it does not matter how you group them with brackets, the answer stays the same. It lets you choose the easiest pairs to work with first.

Examples

• (2 + 3) + 4 = 2 + (3 + 4) = 9.
• (2 × 3) × 4 = 2 × (3 × 4) = 24.
• 17 + 3 + 20: add 17 + 3 = 20 first, then 20 + 20 = 40.

Quick facts

• It applies to addition and multiplication, not subtraction or division.
• It helps you regroup numbers into friendlier pairs, like making a ten first.