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5 votes
When Tom found found the difference -11 - (-4) he got an answer of -15. What might Tom have done wrong?

User Wolric
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2 Answers

3 votes

Tom combined like terms as if it were an equation instead of solving the problem. -11-(-4) would turn into a -11+4 and to solve that do 11-4=7 but the 7 is negative because the bigger number in that problem (11) was negative. -11-(-4)=-7

User Vcuankit
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2 votes

Tom apparently added -4 to -11 instead of subtracting it.

User JeffP
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