7 - 3 = 4, 8 - 5 = 3, 9 - 8 = 1
Conclusion: the difference of two positive numbers is always positive.
2 - 3 = -1
Oops.
If by difference, you mean the larger minus the smaller, the conclusion is true.
Technically, though, the difference is
minuend
- subtrahend
-----------------
difference
So it matters which is which.
State a conclusion that seems reasonable.
You eat a new kind of fruit and suffer from hives for the first time in your life. A week later, you try the fruit and the hives recur. A month later, you have a similar experience.
Conclusion:
my first guess is you are allergic to that fruit.
Counterexample: Any difference between a smaller number and a larger one will produce a negative number. e.g. 3-7=-4
To understand why the difference of two positive numbers is always positive, let's take a closer look at the examples you provided:
1. 7 - 3 = 4: In this case, we start with a larger number (7) and subtract a smaller number (3). The result is a positive number (4).
2. 8 - 5 = 3: Similarly, we have a larger number (8) and subtract a smaller number (5). The result, again, is a positive number (3).
3. 9 - 8 = 1: Once more, we have a larger number (9) and subtract a smaller number (8). The result, as expected, is a positive number (1).
Based on these examples, we can conclude that when subtracting a smaller positive number from a larger positive number, the difference will always be a positive number. This is because subtracting a smaller number results in "taking away" less from the larger number, leaving more remaining. Therefore, the difference will always be positive.