Can you subtract two negative numbers and get a positive difference? What are some examples, if it's possible?
Can you add two negative numbers and get a positive sum? (I fairly certain it's not possible, but I'm not sure how to explain why it's not...)
(-3) - (-8) = -3+8 = +5
to add to negatives will always yield a negative.
could you have two debts, add them up and suddenly have a profit ???
Thank you so much for your help!
Yes, you can subtract two negative numbers and get a positive difference. When you subtract a negative number from another negative number, it is equivalent to adding the absolute values of those numbers. The result will be positive.
For example, when subtracting -5 from -3, we can think of it as adding 5 to 3, which equals 8. So, (-3) - (-5) = 8.
As for adding two negative numbers, you are correct that it is not possible to get a positive sum. When you add two negative numbers, the result will always be negative. This is because adding two negative numbers is equivalent to subtracting their absolute values.
To explain why adding two negative numbers does not result in a positive sum, you can consider the concept of direction. In mathematics, negative numbers represent values that are less than zero or quantities in the opposite direction. When you add two negative numbers, you are essentially combining two values in the opposite direction, resulting in a larger movement in that direction. Hence, the sum retains the negative sign.
For example, adding -4 and -2 gives you -6, (-4) + (-2) = -6. The negative signs indicate a movement or value in the opposite direction, and their combination results in an even larger movement or value in that direction. So, the sum remains negative.
In summary, subtracting two negative numbers yields a positive difference, while adding two negative numbers results in a negative sum.