Final answer:
The associative property allows us to change the grouping of terms without affecting their sum or product.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to use the associative property to write an equation without solving it. The associative property states that the grouping of three or more terms/factors does not affect their sum or product. In this case, the equation is 1 + (7 + 9). We can use the associative property to change the grouping to (1 + 7) + 9. The sum remains the same, but the grouping is different.