the expression 4 - p is equivalent to "four minus a number", but not to "a number minus four".explain why.

Suppose that p = 1

4 - 1 = 3

But --

1 - 4 = -3

oh....I see,thanks!!!:)

You're welcome.

on pens one lets new

To understand why the expression "4 - p" is equivalent to "four minus a number," we need to break it down:

The expression "4 - p" consists of two terms: 4 and p, connected by the "-" operator, which represents subtraction. When we subtract p from 4, we're starting with the value 4 and subtracting p (a number) from it.

On the other hand, the expression "a number minus four" can be written as "p - 4." Here, we have p as the first term, and 4 as the second term. This means we're starting with the value p and subtracting 4 from it.

The reason these two expressions are not equivalent is because in the first expression, we start with the number 4 and subtract a variable p from it, while in the second expression, we start with the variable p and subtract the number 4 from it. The order in which we subtract the numbers matters, which is why the expressions have different meanings.

So, when we say "4 - p," we mean four minus a number (p). It doesn't represent "a number minus four" because the order of subtraction is reversed in that case.