Practice Associativity in Math

Use these practice problems to test your method after reviewing the concept explanation and worked examples.

Quick Recap

A property where changing the grouping of operands does not change the result: (a \star b) \star c = a \star (b \star c).

(2 + 3) + 4 = 2 + (3 + 4). How you group the additions doesn't matter.

Example 1

easy
Show that \((2 + 5) + 4 = 2 + (5 + 4)\) by calculating both sides.

Example 2

medium
Use associativity to make this multiplication easier: \(5 \times 4 \times 6\).

Example 3

easy
Calculate \((8 + 3) + 7\) and \(8 + (3 + 7)\). Which is easier? Why?

Example 4

medium
Use associativity to simplify: \(2 \times 7 \times 5\).