i dont get negative numbers?

Question

how do u know when to subtract
what if u have 2 negatives
what if u have one positive and one negative

Answer 1

two negatives you always add and put the negative sign. -5-3=-8
if you have one negative and one positive the easiest thing to remember is subtract the smallest from the biggest and put the bigger numbers sign. -8+5=-3

Answer 2

Here is a scale for one positive and one negative number
-10 -9 -8 -7- 6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

On the left are all your negative numbers and on the right are the positive

What ever number your first number is in the problem go to the scale for that number
Examples -5 + 4 go to the -5 and start
+5 - 4 go to the positive 5 and start.

Now once you are at that number you count to the left if it is a subtraction problem and count to the right if it is an addition problem
Example -5 + 4 starts at -5 and count right 4, you will end on -1 and that is your answer.

Two positives is just basic addition

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If you are adding two negatives it is just the same as basic addition but you will keep the negative sign in your solution.

Two negatives is a little different and you will use the scale but just do the opposite direction when adding and subtracting go left when adding two negatives and go right when subtracting one negative to another negative and you will come to your answer

Here are examples

-5 - -2 start at – 5, you are subtracting and have two negatives so you go right two times and your answer is -3
-5 + -2 start at -5, you are adding so you go left 2 times and your answer is -7

There are other ways to do this also but this is the easiest to explain over the computer.

Hope it helps and good luck.

Answer 3

Commit the following rules to memory:
1. A negative times a negative is a positive.
2. A positive times a negative is a negative.

How does this apply to addition and subtraction?

Example 1
Let's say you have the following equation: 1 - (-2) = x. Refer to rule one and multiply the two negative signs. A negative times a negative is a positive, so the two negative signs turn into a positive sign, and what you end up with is 1 + 2. So, 1 - (-2) = 3. Concept: subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive.

Example 2
Now, let's say you have the following equation: 1 + (-2) = x. Refer to rule 2 and multiply the negative and the positive signs. A positive times a negative is a negative, so the positive and the negative sign turn into a negative sign, and what you end up with is 1 - 2. So, 1 + (-2) = (-1). Concept: adding a negative is the same as subtracting a positive.

Example 3
But, be careful. This works only if the positive number comes first. If the negative number comes first, then try to think of a number line. Start at the negative number, and move left when subtracting a positive, and move right when adding a positive.

What happens if you add or subtract two negatives?

Example 4
Let's say you have (-1) - (-2) = x. This is a two step process. First, treat the second number the same way as you did in Example 1. This leaves you with (-1) + 2 = x. Now, solve this second equation like Example 3.

Example 5.
Let's say you have (-1) + (-2) = x. This is also a two step process. First, treat the second number the same way as you did in Example 2. This leaves you with (-1) - 2 = x. Now, solve this second equation like Example 3.


This may seem kind of confusing at first, but if you practice these simple equations enough times, you can wrap your mind around it, and it will become clear to you.
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Answer 4

Positive + Positive = Positive
5 + 3 = 8
Negative + Negative = Negative
(- 6) + (- 3) = - 9

Sum of a negative and a positive number

Keep the sign of the larger number and subtract


(- 6) + 3 = -3

9 + (-12) = - 3

(- 5) + 7 = 2

4 + ( -2) = 2.


Negative - Positive = Negative (same as adding two negative numbers)
(- 8) - 3 = -8 + (-3) = -11
Positive - Negative = Positive + Positive = Positive
4 - (-3) = 4 + 3 = 7

Negative - Negative = Negative + Positive =

Keep the sign of the larger number and subtract


(-7) - (-5) = ( -7) + 5 = -2

(-5) - ( -7) = (-5) + 7 = 2

Answer 5

If you have two negative numbers you add them together to get one big negative number. lets say you have -2 and -3, you would add them together and you would get -5

to subtract a negative and a positive: lets say you have +10 and -5, you would subtract the -5 from the +10 and you would get +5

Answer 6

Maybe try not to think of it as "negative" and "positive" numbers because what it really is referring to is distance.

If you go forward ( + )6 units and then go backwards ( - ) 9 units you have went further backwards how many units? 3 units and since you went backward more units than you did forward you have -3 left over. Get it?

So if you go backwards 3 steps and then another 4 steps you can add the two because they are measurements of distance and if they were both negative to begin with (going backward), the outcome will still be negative. -7 (even though I believe you can never really have a negative distance, you don't need that rule until later on.)

Hope that helps a little bit. Its just another way of looking at it.

Answer 7

well.it is pretty easyif you add to negatives, just take away the negative sign and add. when u are done add the sign to the number again. when u subtract two negatives. change the second negative number into a positive and the subtraction sign into a addition sign.

Answer 8

Lets quickly run through some examples with 5 and 2:
5 - 2 = 3
2 - 5 = -(5 - 2) = -3
-5 - 2 = -(5 + 2) = -7
-5 + 2 = -(5 -2) = -3
Hope these help!

Answer 9

It's like being happy (positive) and sad (negative). If you are two happy, but move four toward sad, you are sad (negative). If you are one sad (negative) and move three toward happy (positive), you are happy (positive). Zero is feeling nothing. This was a hard concept for me, too.