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Aman is adding -11 + 10. He wants to write -11 as the sum of two numbers so that one of the numbers, when added to 10, will equal 0. How should Aman write -11 to complete this problem? a) -11 + 11 b) -5 + (-6) c) -10 + (-1) d) 0 + (-11)

User Wakurth
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1 Answer

5 votes

Answer: Choice C. -10 + (-1)

Reason

Let's replace -11 in the original expression with -10+(-1).

-11 + 10

-10+(-1) +10

(-10+10) + (-1)

0 + (-1)

-1

The -10 and +10 pair up to cancel out. They are opposites of each other. The -10 can be thought of as going down 10 floors on a building. Then +10 is going up 10 floors. When combined, the two cancel out and you end up back on the same floor you started from.

This ultimately means -11 + 10 = -1

If you are at basement level 11, and go up 10 floors, then you'll arrive at basement level 1. Check out the diagram below to see the vertical number line diagram.

Aman is adding -11 + 10. He wants to write -11 as the sum of two numbers so that one-example-1
User Meropi
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