Question 221898: -1.56 - -3.2
I'm having trouble with this problem, please help. Thanks
Answer by likaaka(51)   (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! If you are having difficulties understanding negative numbers, here's an analogy that I use to remember them:
Let "good" be "positive" and "bad" be "negative"
good things happening to good people: a good thing
good things happening to bad people: a bad thing
bad things happening to good people: a bad thing
bad things happening to bad people: a good thing
So what you have in the back of the problem, - -3.2, can be seen as a bad thing happening to a bad person, which is a good thing and therefore translates to +3.2
The proper mathematical explanation is the minus of a minus is a plus rule.
-1.5 - -3.2
-1.5 + 3.2
Next, using the commutative property of addition, I would rearrange the problem so that the larger number, in this case the positive 3.2, is first and the smaller number, in this case the negative 1.5, is at the end
-1.5 + 3.2
3.2 + -1.5
So what you have now in the back of the problem, + -1.5, can be seen as a good thing happening to a bad person, which is a bad thing and therefore translates to -1.5
So
3.2 + -1.5
3.2 - 1.5, now perform the indicated operation
3.2 - 1.5 = 1.7
Hope this helps
|
|
|
