Question

Verify the associative property of addition.

$15+(-23)+(-9)$

Answer 1

Verifying the associative property of addition

Associative property: Let $a$, $b$ and $c$ be three integers, then associative property of addition holds when,

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

Let $a=15$, $b=-23$ and $c=-9$ in the given question.

Taking L.H.S.

$(a+b)+c$

$$\begin{gathered} =(15+(-23\left)\right)+(-9) \\ =(-8)+(-9) \\ =-17 \end{gathered}$$

Taking R.H.S.

$a+(b+c)$

$$\begin{gathered} =15+\left(\right(-23)+(-9\left)\right) \\ =15+(-32) \\ =-17 \end{gathered}$$

Here, L.H.S.$=$ R.H.S.

Hence, associative property of addition is verified.