SOLUTION: When you subtract a big number from a little number, you end up with a negative answer. An example of this would be 60-100=-40. Does this ever happen in the real world? Give an exa

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Question 604770: When you subtract a big number from a little number, you end up with a negative answer. An example of this would be 60-100=-40. Does this ever happen in the real world? Give an example or explain why not.
Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
A good example is when you buy something that costs more money than what you have in your pocket (or bank account).

Say you have $2 in your pocket and you buy a $5 item. You make a deal with the clerk that you'll pay him/her back the difference. This means that you'll owe 5-2 = 3 dollars.

Since this is an in the form of an IOU or debt, we represent it as a negative number. So this is why we actually write it as 2 - 5 = -3

The -3 refers to the fact that you owe 3 dollars.