I always get stuck because I never know where to start, and the signs confuse me.
Here's the problem:
-10-(-8)+(-4)-20
Here's my first step...
-20-10-8+4
-10-4
=-14
But, that's not right. I checked in the back of the book for the answer, and the answer is -26. I know I didn't do it right, because I struggled with it too much.
Can someone please lead me, and show me what I did wrong?
-20-10-8+4
-10-8+4
-2+4
2
x+4-2
It seems like you made a mistake in your first step. Let me guide you through the correct process:
The expression you provided is: -10-(-8)+(-4)-20.
To simplify this expression, start by dealing with the negative signs. When you have a negative sign in front of parentheses, you can think of it as distributing the negative sign to every term inside the parentheses. So, let's rewrite the expression:
-10 + 8 + (-4) - 20
Next, perform the addition and subtraction from left to right:
-10 + 8 equals -2
-2 + (-4) equals -6
-6 - 20 equals -26
Therefore, the correct answer is -26, as indicated in the back of the book.
To summarize the steps:
1. Distribute the negative sign to every term inside the parentheses.
2. Evaluate the addition and subtraction from left to right.
By following this order of operations, you will arrive at the correct answer.