document.write( "Question 1011285: Why are + signs sometimes left out of problems. When I do -3(2t+6) I get -6t+(-18). But my book and calculators both say -3(2t+6)=-6t-18. What happened to the + between the t and the 6? \n" ); document.write( "
Algebra.Com's Answer #626902 by Edwin McCravy(20056)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
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document.write( "Because \r\n" );
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document.write( "\"plus a negative number\" \r\n" );
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document.write( "always means the same as \r\n" );
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document.write( "\"minus the corresponding positive number, \r\n" );
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document.write( "and it is shorter to write\r\n" );
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document.write( "A-B \r\n" );
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document.write( "than to write\r\n" );
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document.write( "A+(-B)\r\n" );
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document.write( "What you should learn to do is to pretend that\r\n" );
document.write( "a minus sign IS a negative sign!  Pretend that it is\r\n" );
document.write( "the sign of the number that follows it.  After all,\r\n" );
document.write( "a negative sign and a minus sign look exactly alike. \r\n" );
document.write( "So when you see\r\n" );
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document.write( "A-B\r\n" );
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document.write( "learn to think of the - before the B as if it were actually \r\n" );
document.write( "the negative sign of B, (even though it really isn't.)\r\n" );
document.write( "But think of it that way anyway.  When the sign is \r\n" );
document.write( "between the A and the B you know that it is A plus \r\n" );
document.write( "-B.\r\n" );
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document.write( "Edwin
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