+529 negative subtract a positive?
Let's try a few concrete examples:
-7 - +2 = -9
-7 - +10 = -17
-7 - +7 = -14
So we can generalize: the answer is negative.
➥ ➥
+118677 Thanks Badinage :)
When plusing and minusing directed numbers always think about the number line.
If you are working in an exercise book you ccan think about 0 being in the crease of your book and the positives will be on the right and the negatives will be on the left.
Like this:
say I want to find -2-6
I put my pen on the -2. I am subtracting so I go left towards the negative end.
Now i have to go left 6 places. That will land you on -8
+118677 Oh I didn't quite give the whole story.
you can think of positive numbers as hot numbers and negaive numbers as cold numbers.
If you take away heat it gets colder so - + = -
If you add cold into the room it gets colder + - = -
If you add heat it gets hotter + + = +
If you take cold away it also gets hotter - - = +
These are only for when the signs are so close together that you can put a circle around them with nothing else in the way.
Here is some more on this topic if you are interested :)
http://web2.0calc.com/questions/it-just-doesn-t-make-sense-to-me
