Applying the associative principle to (3+7)+4, is to move the parentheses
from around the first two numbers to around the second and third numbers
like this:
3+(7+4)
How the associative property works is that if you leave it as
(3+7)+4, you are associating the 3 with the 7 by having parentheses
around them, and they give 10, so it's the same as adding 10+4 and
getting 14.
Or if you move the parentheses so that you have 3+(7+4), then you are
associating the 7 with the 4 by having parentheses around them, and
they give 11, so it's the same as adding 3+11 and surprise! you also
get the same answer 14.
Edwin
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