Question

Find the differences. Does the order of the integers matter in a subtraction sentence? Explain.

3 – (-2) = ?
-2 – 3 = ?
a) 5, -5
b) -1, 1
c) -5, 5
d) 1, -1

Answer 1

The order of integers in a subtraction sentence does affect the result. Subtracting a negative from a positive results in adding, and the reverse increases the negative value. The solution to the problem 3 - (-2) is 5, and -2 - 3 is -5.

Step-by-step explanation:

The order of the integers does matter in a subtraction sentence. When you subtract a negative number from a positive number, you add the absolute value of the negative number to the positive number. For example, 3 - (-2) becomes 3 + 2, which equals 5.

On the other hand, when you subtract a positive number from a negative number, you are essentially adding two negative numbers, which results in a larger negative number. For instance, -2 - 3 becomes -2 + (-3), which equals -5.

In conclusion, the differences in the order of the integers are 5 for 3 - (-2) and -5 for -2 - 3. Therefore, the correct answer to the original question is a) 5, -5.