document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=78173>Question 78173</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> I am having a hard time with negative and positive numbers.  Can you please help me by simplifying this problem?\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "       -(-(-7)) </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #56075 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><B>jim_thompson5910(35256)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-13.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=jim_thompson5910><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/nopicture.jpg><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=56075\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A negative sign really tells you that you are going to use the opposite number. So if you're at 5 on the number line, then -5 means you're going to the opposite side of 5 (which is -5). So -(-5) means the opposite of -5, which is 5 (we're going back now). So in this case, we have \r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "-(-(-7)))\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Lets do the inside:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The opposite of -7 is 7 so we get:<BR>\n" );
document.write( "-(-(-7)))=-(7)=-7\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "So -(-(-7))) simplifies to -7\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The rule is when you have 2 negatives, they make a positive (it's like they cancel out) </SPAN>\n" );
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