We are given two expressions and we want to determine whether they are equivalent. We should first identify the operation being performed.
(25 - 9) - 5 and 25 - (9 - 5)In this case, the terms are being subtracted. The terms are the same, but they are grouped differently. Let's consider the Associative Property.
Associative Property
The way in which three numbers are grouped when they are added or multiplied does not change their sum or product.
According to the Associative Property the grouping does not matter when we add or multiply expressions. We are subtracting the terms. This means that we cannot use the Associative Property. The expressions are not equivalent. We can check our statement by simplifying both expressions.
