Question

Carter and Joann are playing the integer card game. Carter drew three cards: -5, 10, and -4. What is the sum of the cards in his hand? Model your answer on the number line below.

a) 1
b) 0
c) -9
d) -6

Answer 1

Carter has cards with values -5, 10, and -4. Adding the negative numbers first gives -9, and then adding 10 gives a sum of 1. Thus, the sum of Carter's cards is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

Carter drew three cards: -5, 10, and -4. To find the sum of the cards in his hand, we follow the rules of addition for integers:

• When two positive numbers add, the answer has a positive sign (e.g., 3+2 = 5).
• When two negative numbers add, the answer has a negative sign (e.g., -4 + (-2) = -6).
• When two numbers having opposite signs add, subtract the smaller number from the larger number, and the answer has the sign of the larger number (e.g., -5 +3 = -2).

Applying these rules to Carter's cards:

1. Add the two negative numbers: -5 + -4 = -9.
2. Add the sum from step 1 to the positive number: -9 + 10 = 1.

Therefore, the sum of the cards in Carter's hand is 1.