What are the rules for subtracting negative and postive integers??

Question

How would i do for example this problem : -14 - 4?
and what are the rules?

Answer 1

okay the answer to that problem would be -10.
1. if you are subracting a negative from a negative, it's like you have 14 negatives and you take 4 away.
2. if you are subrtacting a positive from a negative, it's like adding more negatives on.
example: -14 - 4 = -18
3. If you are subtracting a negative from a positive, it's like adding more positives.
example: 14 - (-4) = 18
in the problem above, you can see that i have minus a negative. when my teacher taught me this she told me that i minus sign was like a negative. and two negatives together makes a plus sign. that might be confusing, but it helped me. here's an example of what that would look like:
14 + 4 = 18 . . . . easier?

i hope this helps and i didn't just confuse you.

Answer 2

Snuffles just gave you a good answer.

I find it less confusing to think of it this way:
- 14 - 4 =
-1*14 + -1*4 =
-1(14+4) =
-1*18 =
-18

Answer 3

Assume that "a" and "b" are natural numbers

For -a + -b
It'll be the same as "-a-b" (like your example)
The answer will always be negative

For a + -b
It's the same as " a-b", so, the answer will be negative if the first number is less then the last.

For -a + b
In this case, if the first number is more, then the answer will be negative.

(Eventhough I wrote this myself, I find it a little confusing)

Answer 4

-14-4+= -18

if it is a negative number subracted by a positive umber, then the answer will be negative.

I think of it as a number line... if u have a negative, and ur subracting a negative, u will go further down the number line!

Answer 5

okay -14 -4 is the same as -14 + -4
and then u just add them together and put a negative sign in front which wud be -18

and the rules are the same as Dixie Joker wrote them

Answer 6

Any sign whether minus(negative) or plus(positive).Same signs add together and Different signs subtract.

Answer 7

-14 - 4 = -18
think of numbers relative to zero!
+ is like going left
0 is the center
- is like going right

Answer 8

a good rule to go by is "add the opposite"

-14 + (-4) = -18

or

Answer 9

google it seriously http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=-14+-+4&btnG=Google+Search google can be used as a calculator, spellcheck, and information finder

Answer 10

two negatives are always positive
one positive and one negative is always negative
two positives are always positive