The associative law applies only to addition and multiplication. It states that the sum or product of any three or more numbers is not affected by the way in which the numbers are grouped by parentheses. In simpler terms, if you group the same numbers differently for addition or multiplication, the result will remain the same.

Explanation: Associative Property of Addition: The Associative Property of Addition states that changing the grouping of numbers does not affect the sum.

\$(a + b) + c = a + (b + c)\$

Associative Property of Multiplication: In multiplication, the Associative Property states that changing the grouping of numbers does not alter the result.

\$(a * b) * c = a * (b * c)\$