Question

Use counters to model two integers with different signs whose sum is positive.Explain how you know the sum is positive.

Answer 1

if you add two numbers with different sign , but absolute value of positive number is greater than absolute of negative number , sum will be positive ex. -4+7=3 I7I GREATER THAN I-4I, WE SUBTRACT 4 FROM 7 =3 POSITIVE OR -14 +20 =6 POSITIVE , ABSOLUTE VALUE OF 20 GREATER THAN ABSOLUTE VALUE OF -14

Answer 2

If we want to add two integers of different signs and want to get a result will be a positive integer then,

The positive integer must have larger absolute value and negative integer must have smaller absolute value than the absolute value of a positive integer.

For example: -1 + 3 = 2 Here 3 has larger absolute value and -1 has smaller absolute value. So the result is a positive integer.

But if we take -7 + 2 = -5 , Here -7 has larger absolute value and 2 has smaller absolute value. So the result is a negative integer.