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Take a least pairs of integer and see if subtraction is commutative.

a. Yes, it is commutative.
b. No, it is not commutative.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Subtraction is not commutative because the order of the numbers affects the result, unlike addition where the order does not matter.

Step-by-step explanation:

In mathematics, specifically within arithmetic operations, the commutative property defines that the order in which two numbers are added or multiplied does not change the result. For addition, for example, if you have two integers, 5 and 3, it is indeed true that 5 + 3 = 3 + 5.

However, the same does not apply to subtraction or division, which are non-commutative operations. If we take two integers, such as 5 and 3, and subtract them, changing the order does affect the result: 5 - 3 ≠ 3 - 5. This demonstrates that subtraction is not commutative. The first calculation gives us 2, while the second results in -2.

In conclusion, the answer to whether subtraction is commutative is (b) No, it is not commutative.