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011 Adding and Subtracting Signed Numbers
011 Adding and Subtracting Signed Numbers
numbers
Think about signed numbers just as positive and negative numbers.
Positive numbers have positive signs (even though we often write positive
numbers without actually putting a positive sign in front of them), whereas
negative numbers have negative signs. So 3, 7, and 11 are all positive
numbers, but −2, −6, and −9 are all negative numbers.
3+4= 7
10 + 1 = 11
−3 + (−4) = − 7
6
−10 + (−1) = − 11
3 + (−4) = − 1
10 + (−1) = 9
3 + (−3) = 0
7
−10 + 10 = 0
3 − 4 = 3 + (−4) = − 1
10 − 1 = 10 + (−1) = 9
3 − 3 = 3 + (−3) = 0
−3 − (−4) = − 3 + 4 = 1
8
Here, the first number is −3 and the second number is −4.
Since −3 > − 4, the first number is larger so the result is
positive.
−10 − (−1) = − 10 + 1 = − 9
−3 − (−3) = − 3 + 3 = 0
3 − (−4) = 3 + 4 = 7
10 − (−1) = 10 + 1 = 11
−3 − 4 = − 3 + (−4) = − 7
−10 − 1 = − 10 + (−1) = − 11
9
Positive + Positive Positive
Keep in mind that when you add signed numbers, the order of the
numbers doesn’t make a difference.
10
3+4= 7= 4+3
−3 + (−4) = − 7 = − 4 + (−3)
10 + (−1) = 9 = − 1 + 10
3 + (−3) = 0 = − 3 + 3
But if you subtract signed numbers, the order of the numbers always
matters.
11