FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

Which property indicates that the grouping of numbers does not affect the result of addition or multiplication?

1. Identity

2. Inverse

3. Associative

4. Distributive

The correct answer is: Associative

The Associative property is the principle that states the way numbers are grouped in addition or multiplication does not change the final result. For addition, this means that when adding multiple numbers, you can group them in any way. For example, (2 + 3) + 4 yields the same result as 2 + (3 + 4), both equaling 9. Similarly, for multiplication, (2 × 3) × 4 leads to the same product as 2 × (3 × 4), both equaling 24. This property is essential because it allows flexibility in calculations, indicating that no matter how you group the numbers, the outcome remains consistent, thereby simplifying both mental and written arithmetic processes. In contrast, the Identity property refers to the concept that a number, when added to zero or multiplied by one, remains unchanged. The Inverse property relates to creating a zero sum in addition or a product of one in multiplication. The Distributive property describes how multiplication distributes over addition, highlighting another aspect of number operations but not focusing on the grouping aspect.