What does the associative property allow you to do in an equation?

The associative property focuses on how numbers are grouped in an equation, rather than their order. When using the associative property, it does not matter how the numbers are grouped in terms of parentheses; the sum (in addition) remains the same regardless of how the numbers are arranged. For example, in the expression (a + b) + c, you can regroup it as a + (b + c) without changing the outcome of the addition. This property is essential for simplifying calculations and understanding how to manipulate expressions effectively.

This characteristic distinguishes it from other properties, such as the commutative property, which indeed deals with changing the order of the addends, or properties related to the identity element, like adding zero, or the combination of different operations, such as addition and subtraction.