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I know that 3 + -5 = -2, because you subtract the absolute values and give the result the same sign as the addend with a greater absolute value.

So why is something like this true?

(3)/(10) + ( - 7)/(10) = 1


-7/10 has a greater absolute value doesnt it? So wouldnt the answer be negative because -7/10 is?​

1 Answer

4 votes

Answer:

The statement "you subtract the absolute values and give the result the same sign as the addend with a greater absolute value" is not correct. When adding two numbers, the sign of the sum depends on the signs of the individual numbers being added. In the case of 3 + (-5), we have a positive number (3) being added to a negative number (-5). To add these numbers, you can think of it as a combination of two operations: addition and subtraction. When you add 3 and -5, you get -2. This is because when you add a positive number and a negative number, the result will have the sign of the number with the greater absolute value. In this case, -5 has a greater absolute value than 3, so the sum is negative (-2). Now let's consider -7/10. Since this number is negative, if you add it to another number, the sum will also be negative. The sign of the sum depends on the signs of the individual numbers being added, not on the absolute values. Therefore, if you add -7/10 to another number, the result will be negative. To summarize, when adding two numbers, the sign of the sum depends on the signs of the individual numbers being added. The statement about subtracting absolute values and giving the result the same sign as the addend with a greater absolute value is not accurate.

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