Question

ShareTURNIN3. Explain the statement "Subtracting a negativenumber is like adding a positive one". Give an example

Answer 1

By defnition, a Negative number is a number that is less than zero, and a Positive number is a number greater than zero.

Notice the following subtraction:

`-2-(-8)`

According to the Sign rules for multiplication:

`\begin{gathered} (+)(+)=+ \\ (-)(-)=+ \\ (-)(+)=- \end{gathered}`

Then:

`-2-(-8)=-2+8=6`

As you can see, subtracting a negative number (like -8) is like adding a positive one (this would be 8).

When you subtract a negative number, you are actually moving to the right on a Number line:

As you can see, you move 8 unis to the right when you subtract -8 from -2, so its like adding a positive 8.

The answer is: Subtracting a negative number is like adding a positive one, because when we subtract a negative number we are actually moving to the right on a Number like. For example:

`-2-(8)=-2+8=6`

(See the picture of the Number line attached above. It's not drawn to scale)