Question

Suppose you want to model the difference -4-7 do you need to add zero pairs if so why?how many should you add what is the difference?

Answer 1

Yes and no. It depends on how you set up the problem. You can set it up as an addition or a subtraction problem. As a subtraction problem you would use zero pairs, but it you rewrote the expression as an addition problem then you would not need zero pairs.

Explanation:

You can:

You can add 7 zero pairs.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The 4 negative and 7 zero pairs.

+ + + + + + +

I added 7 zero pairs because I am told to take away 7 positives, but I do not have any positives so I added 7 zero pairs with still gives the expression a value to -4, but I now can take away 7 positives. When I take the positives away, I am left with 11 negatives.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

I can rewrite the problem as an addition problem and then I would not need zero pairs.

- 4 - 7 is the same as -4 + -7 Now we would model this as

_ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

The total would be 7 negatives.