a surplus of 12 items is represented by 12, determine the opposite of that number and describe the measurement indicated by that opposite?

I think it is 12 and the opposite is -12, a shortage of 12 items. Is this correct?

Correct.

Yes, you are correct! The opposite of a surplus of 12 items, represented by 12, would be -12. This would indicate a shortage of 12 items.

Yes, you are correct! The opposite of a surplus of 12 items, which is represented by the number 12, is -12. In this case, -12 indicates a shortage of 12 items.

To determine the opposite of a number, you can simply change the sign of the number. If the number is positive, the opposite will be negative, and if the number is negative, the opposite will be positive. In this case, since the surplus is represented by the positive number 12, the opposite is represented by the negative number -12.