How to use the “addition rule” (above) to make sense of addition and subtraction:

Addition: To illustrate for example 5 + 7, position, by dragging with the mouse, the 0
(zero) of the lower (red) ruler under the 5 of the upper (blue) ruler. Then, without
dragging the rulers past each other any further, locate the 7 on the lower ruler. The
number above it is 5 + 7 = 12. Here are a few more to try: 7 + 2; -8 + 3; 26 + -15.
(Helpful hint: you can move the two rulers together by dragging in the middle where
blue and red meet.)

To show subtraction using the addition rule: To show for instance 5 - 8, position the
zero of the lower ruler under the 8 on the top. The number underneath 5 is then the
number which when added to 8 gives 5, which is 5 - 8 = -3. Here are a few more to try:
8 - 7; -2 - 9; 7 - (-4).

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The blue line (or, for that matter, the red one) is called the number line. The number
line has the following two properties:

1) For any two numbers on the number line the one to the left is smaller (<); the one
to the right is larger.
2) The distance between any two points on the number line is the number to the
right minus the number to the left. By part 1), this distance is non-negative. This
distance is denoted |a - b| where a and b are the two numbers.

To find the distance |a - b| between two given integers a and b we can use the bottom
(red) scale as a ruler (in the usual sense of the word; ignore the negative part to the left
of 0) and simply measure off the distance (difference) between the smaller of a and b
and the larger both on the blue scale. Try |3 - 7| and |11 - 9|.

To subtract a smaller (<) number from a larger one we can simply measure off the
distance in this way. The procedure is exactly the same as for “To show subtraction”
above. Try 8 - 4 and 6 - (-3).

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The addition rule can serve as an introduction to algebra. As an illustration, position
the 6 of the lower ruler under the 0 of the upper one. Now for any number on the (blue)
number line, the number beneath it is 6 bigger. If we call the first number n then the
number below it is n + 6. This is a good example of the use of a literal (letter) to
represent a quantity that can vary and a second quantity which is simultaneously related
to it in a consistent way.

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It is easy to add three or more integers using the addition-rule. Just do “leap frog”. Try
7 + -8 + 2.

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The addition-rule is precisely a slide-rule except that the scale is linear rather than
logarithmic. Slide-rules were widely used as a way of multiplying one number by
another before the advent of electronic calculators.

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One final note: There is nothing special about the integers here except that the finer
gradations of decimals (tenths, hundredths and so on) are not shown in this particular
applet. But go ahead and try 7.5 + 4.

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If you can think of other uses for the addition rule please let me know at
dkrebes@gmail.com.