document.write( "Question 262313: (2a+3b)+4c=2a+(3b+4c) \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #193237 by Edwin McCravy(20055)\"\" \"About 
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document.write( " (2a+3b)+4c=2a+(3b+4c)\r\n" );
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document.write( "That's called the \"associative principle\" of \r\n" );
document.write( "addition because on the left side, the parentheses \r\n" );
document.write( "associates the first two terms, 2a and 3b, together, \r\n" );
document.write( "whereas on the right side the parentheses associates \r\n" );
document.write( "the last two terms, the 3b and the 4c, together.\r\n" );
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document.write( "The associative principle says that when there are\r\n" );
document.write( "three terms to add, it doesn't matter which two you \r\n" );
document.write( "associate together with parentheses, the answer will \r\n" );
document.write( "always come out the same if you substituted numbers \r\n" );
document.write( "for all those letters.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Suppose a stood for 3, b stood for 4, and c stood for 2\r\n" );
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document.write( "Then the left side of  (2a+3b)+4c=2a+(3b+4c) would be\r\n" );
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document.write( " (2a+3b)+4c\r\n" );
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document.write( "and after substituting we'd have:\r\n" );
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document.write( " (2*3+3*4)+4*2\r\n" );
document.write( " ( 6 + 12)+ 8\r\n" );
document.write( "    18    + 8\r\n" );
document.write( "        26\r\n" );
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document.write( "and the right side of  (2a+3b)+4c=2a+(3b+4c) would be\r\n" );
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document.write( " 2a+(3b+4c)\r\n" );
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document.write( "and after substituting we'd have:\r\n" );
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document.write( " 2*3+(3*4+4*2)\r\n" );
document.write( "  6 +( 12+ 8 )\r\n" );
document.write( "  6 +   20\r\n" );
document.write( "     26\r\n" );
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document.write( "The work was different because we added different\r\n" );
document.write( "numbers, but the final answer came out 26 in both.  \r\n" );
document.write( "That demonstrates why if we have three\r\n" );
document.write( "terms to add together it doesn't matter\r\n" );
document.write( "whether we associate the first two \r\n" );
document.write( "or the last two.  Only the work will\r\n" );
document.write( "be different, but not the final answer.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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