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5 votes
Which expression(s) have positive values? Choose

don't have to simplify)
1. [(-730)
2. [-(-73)
3. - (75)
4.-|-(-701

Having a hard time understanding this.
Even is positive and negative is odd?

User Hultner
by
6.3k points

1 Answer

6 votes

9514 1404 393

Answer:

2. -(-73) is positive

Explanation:

It's not too difficult, but you can get wrapped around the axle. Here are the rules:

  • the opposite of a positive number is a negative number
  • the opposite of a negative number is a positive number

That is, turning a number to its opposite is just changing its sign.

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If you layer these rules, you find ...

the opposite of (the opposite of a positive number) is a positive number

The first rule tells you the statement in parentheses is a negative number, and the second rule tell you its opposite is a positive number.

That is, a double opposite gets you back where you started. In short, any even number of minus signs cancel each other.

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The numbers you have listed here* are ...

  1. -730 (negative)
  2. -(-73) = 73 (positive)
  3. -75 (negative)
  4. -(-(-701)) = -701 (negative)

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* We say "listed here" because we're seeing mismatched parentheses and brackets, so we know something is missing. We're going by the signs and numbers that we do see. YMMV

User Ihsanberahim
by
6.6k points
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