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Q&A for How to Add and Subtract Negatives
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QuestionHow do I subtract a negative number from a positive number, or vice versa?DonaganTop AnswererTo subtract a negative number, change it to a positive number, and add it to the other number. To subtract a positive number, do not change its sign, but simply subtract it.
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QuestionHow do I add and subtract on a number line?DonaganTop AnswererMove to the right when you're adding a positive number. Move to the left when you're adding a negative number. Move to the left when you're subtracting a positive number. Move to the right when you're subtracting a negative number.
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QuestionWhat about subtracting a larger positive # from a smaller negative #?DonaganTop AnswererThe relative size of the two numbers doesn't matter. You add the two absolute values together and put a negative sign in front of the sum.
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QuestionWhere did all of those random numbers come from?DonaganTop AnswererIf you're referring to the "number line," they are not random numbers. A number line just shows the relative positions of various numbers. The value of numbers increases as you move to the right on the line, and it decreases as you move to the left.
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QuestionFor method 2 step 4, how did they get the answer for the third example?DonaganTop AnswererThey're just saying that subtracting -3 from -4 is the same as adding +3 to -4, and because adding can be done in any order, adding +3 to -4 is the same as adding -4 to +3, which is the same as subtracting 4 from 3.
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QuestionWhy is subtracting a negative number equivalent to adding the same number?Community AnswerIt is an algebraic definition: subtracting a negative number is the equivalent of adding a positive number. It might make sense if you consider a number line. Adding a negative number means moving to the left on a number line. Subtraction is the opposite of addition, so subtracting a negative number means moving to the right on a number line, which is the same direction you move when you add a positive number.
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