If a, b, and c are three numbers, write the rule that gives the associative property of multiplication of three numbers.

Answer

To solve the question regarding the associative property of multiplication for three numbers \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\), we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand the Associative Property**: The associative property states that when multiplying three or more numbers, the way in which the numbers are grouped does not change the product.

2. **Write the Expression**: We start with the multiplication of three numbers: \(a \times b \times c\).

3. **Group the Numbers**: According to the associative property, we can group the numbers in different ways. We can group the first two numbers together:
\[ (a \times b) \times c \]

4. **Rearrange the Grouping**: We can also group the last two numbers together:
\[ a \times (b \times c) \]

5. **State the Associative Property**: The associative property of multiplication can be expressed as:
\[ (a \times b) \times c = a \times (b \times c) \]

### Final Rule:
Thus, the rule that gives the associative property of multiplication for the three numbers \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) is:
\[ (a \times b) \times c = a \times (b \times c) \]