Question

Complete the phrase "When you subtract, you add the ___________________".

A) Opposite number
B) Reciprocal
C) Sum
D) Difference

Answer 1

When subtracting, you add the opposite number. This applies to both scalar and vector subtraction, where you change the sign of the number or vector being subtracted and then add.

Step-by-step explanation:

Complete the phrase "When you subtract, you add the opposite number." When subtracting in mathematics, you change the sign of the number being subtracted and then proceed with addition. This concept is easily observed in scalar numbers as well as in vector operations. For example, in scalar arithmetic, if we wish to subtract 3 from 5, we change the subtraction to addition of the opposite number: 5 - (+3) becomes 5 + (-3), which equals 2. Similarly, in vector mathematics, to subtract vector B from vector A, we add the opposite of vector B (which is -B) to vector A: A - B equals A + (-B).