What does associatative property mean?

The associative property is a mathematical principle that states that the way in which numbers are grouped in an operation does not change their result. This property applies to addition and multiplication. For example, in addition, (a + b) + c = a + (b + c), and in multiplication, (a × b) × c = a × (b × c). This means you can group the numbers differently without affecting the final sum or product.