Identify the property illustrated by the statement.
-9 + (15 + 17)= (9 + 15)+ 17
A)distributive property
B)commutative property of addition
C)identity element for addition
D)associative property of addition

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The associative property of addition allows us to regroup the numbers being added without changing the value of the expression. In this case, we are regrouping the numbers (15 and 17) that are inside parentheses, which is why this property applies. The associative property of addition allows us to group the terms in different ways without changing the result. In this case, we can group (15 + 17) first or (9 + 15) first and the result will still be the same.

Identify the Property Illustrated by the Statement