The associative property of addition states that the way in which numbers are grouped in an addition equation does not change their sum. This means that for any three numbers \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\), the following equation holds true:
\[ (a + b) + c = a + (b + c) \]
For example, if we choose specific numbers, like 2, 3, and 4, we can illustrate the associative property as follows:
\[ (2 + 3) + 4 = 5 + 4 = 9 \] \[ 2 + (3 + 4) = 2 + 7 = 9 \]
In both cases, the sum is the same, which exemplifies the associative property of addition.