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Operations on Real Numbers Explained

This document provides definitions and rules for operations on real numbers including: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponents, square roots, and order of operations. It defines additive inverses as numbers whose sum is zero, absolute value as the distance from a number to zero on the number line, and the distance formula. It also outlines the signs of products based on the signs of factors and properties like multiplication by zero equals zero and exponents with negative bases.

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454 views4 pages

Operations on Real Numbers Explained

This document provides definitions and rules for operations on real numbers including: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponents, square roots, and order of operations. It defines additive inverses as numbers whose sum is zero, absolute value as the distance from a number to zero on the number line, and the distance formula. It also outlines the signs of products based on the signs of factors and properties like multiplication by zero equals zero and exponents with negative bases.

Uploaded by

fionalam0621
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Operations on Real Numbers

Additive Inverse (the additive inverse of a number is also called its opposite)

When a number is added to its additive inverse, the result is ________.

We write − a to
_____ is the additive inverse of ______
represent the additive
inverse of a .
_____ is the additive inverse of ______
 Note that − a is not
necessarily a negative
number. Eg. If a = − 3 ,
Note that − (−a) = _____.
then − a = − (− 3) = 3 .

Absolute Value of a : the distance on the number line between a and zero.
Written a .



a =

Eg. 4= −1 = 0=

4−7 = 3 + −3 =

Distance Formula: Let a and b be real numbers. The distance between a and b
on the number line is d = a − b = b − a .

Example: Find the distance between –2 and 5 on the number line. Sketch a graph
of the number line that shows your answer is correct.
A brief reminder of some basic definitions and facts.

Addition & Subtraction

− (− 6) =
5
3

10 − 12 + 3 − 9 + 1 =

Multiplication

a  b will be positive if a and b have the same _________

a  b will be negative if a and b have ______________________

More generally, if there are an even number of negative factors, the product is

______________. If there are an odd number of negative factors, the product

is _____________.

2  27 
−  =
3  8 

(2)(4)(−1)(−6) = (−2)(−3)(−5)(2) =

Multiplication Property of 0: a  0 = 0  a = 0

Multiplication Property of -1: a  (−1) = −1 a = −a

Division
a 1 −a a a −a a
a b = = a = =− =
b b b −b b −b b

− 42  (− 14) =
4 8
 =
3 5

0 a
Division Properties of Zero: = 0 for a  0 is undefined
a 0
0 −4
Eg. =0 is undefined
−4 0

Exponents

24 = ( −2) 4 = − 24 =

( −3) 3 = − 33 =

4.2 2 =

Square Roots

x is the _________________ square root of x (also called the principal square


root).

4= 0= − 36 5

Order of Operations

We perform operations in the following order.

Brackets & Grouping Symbols


Exponents and Roots
Division
Multiplication  Left to Right

Addition
Subtraction  Left to Right
Example: Simplify the following expressions.

4 2 − 5  6 + (2 − 3)(−1) =

− 32 + 5 + 4 − 2 − 2 5 =

2
 1 1  1 1 
 3 + 4   3 + 4  =
  

2 7 − 3 + 5(3 + 1)  10 =

( )
5 + (− 3) 2 2 + 9
=
28 − 4 1 − 7

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