SOLUTION: The topic is " Find the Difference". For example 5-3= and example 14-(-2)= My answers is 2 for the first problem and 12 for the second problem, is that right?

Question 157852: The topic is " Find the Difference". For example 5-3= and example 14-(-2)= My answers is 2 for the first problem and 12 for the second problem, is that right?
Found 2 solutions by jim_thompson5910, midwood_trail:
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
5-3=2 ... correct

14-(-2)= 14 + 2 = 16

Note: the two negatives cancel to a positive (ie they undo each other)
Answer by midwood_trail(310) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
The topic is " Find the Difference". For example 5-3= and example 14-(-2)= My answers is 2 for the first problem and 12 for the second problem, is that right?
================================
To "find the difference" means to subtract or take away.
For the first problem, your son is right because 5 - 3 = 2.
For the second question, your son is wrong.
The reason he is wrong is because there is a NEGATIVE in front of the parentheses. See it?
This is the question:
14 - (-2)....This is read: "Fourteen minus negative two."
Believe it or not, there is an INVISIBLE -1 in front of the parentheses.
As you know, negative TIMES negative = positive.
We really have this:
14 minus -1 times -2 = 14 + 2 = 16
The answer to question 2 is 16 not 12.
Did you follow?
Tell your son to review the rules of signed numbers. If he does not take time out to memorize the rules of signed numbers, algebra will not be pretty.

RELATED QUESTIONS
what is the rule for adding and subtracting multipying and diving intergers . for... (answered by longjonsilver,sdmmadam@yahoo.com)
for the equation |x-2|-2=7 I believe your answers are x=11 and x=-3 because once you... (answered by stanbon,josmiceli)
hey! I am having a lot of trouble with my year 12 maths and was wondering if anyone was (answered by Fombitz,rothauserc)
On my homework i would need to factor the polynomials completely; and that some... (answered by rapaljer)
Thank you for being available this evening, I wanted to know about the 'signs' in... (answered by edjones)
Please help me. I have 3 parts ti this question. I have to anwer any 2 of them and... (answered by tutorcecilia,Earlsdon)
Topic of homework is Functions, Tables and graphs, the first question is "Find the output (answered by richard1234)
I need help on functions... for example like this homework question. f(x)= 3x+5 and... (answered by ad_alta)
Please can you help me with Arithmetic Sequences because I don't know how to do it. The (answered by eperette)