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17. Negative numbers are closed under addition.
True or false

User Free Bud
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Answer: True

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Step-by-step explanation:

Picking any two negative numbers, then adding them, will result in some other negative number. This is why the set of negative numbers is closed under addition.

Examples:

-2 + (-3) = -5

-10 + (-14) = -24

-7 + (-9) = -16

This is because when you add two negatives, you're adding their positive counterparts. Going to the first example above, we would say 2+3 = 5 and then just make everything negative. There's no way to add two negative numbers, and get a positive result (and we can't get 0 either).

You can think of it in terms of money and debt. The -2 represents being 2 dollars in debt. Then adding on 3 more dollars of debt leads ultimately to 5 dollars overall in debt.

User Lorelei
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