Why wouldn't -7 + -8 = a positive 15? You always hear people say a (-) + (-) = (+) a negative plus a negative equals a positive. Why isn't it in this case? It just doesn't make sense to me?!?!?!?!? Please give me some tips or the logic behind it. Thanks a bunch!!
Good question!
Two minus make a plus ONLY
1) if they are so close together that you can put a circle around them and there is nothing else in the circle.
Think of it like this if you want
Negative numbers are cold numbers. Like -30degrees would be very cold wouldn't it?
and Positive numbers are hot numbers. An oven might be 180degrees. There is an invisible + in front of the 180.
So 15--2 means you are taking away cold - so it must get hotter
15--2=15+2=17
2) If you are multiplying or dividing
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NOW if you are adding or subtracting positive and negative numbers then you need to think about a number line.
10+3 means you start at 10 and go 3 places in the positive direction = 13
10-3 means you start at 10 and go 3 places in the negative direction = 7
Just continue this method with trickier negative numbers
-3-8 means you start at -3 and go 8 places in the negative direction = -11
OR to put it another way. It is -3 degrees and it gets 8 degrees COLDER = -11 degrees
So lets look at your question
-7+-8 = If you add cold it gets colder so the question becomes
-7-8 Now if it is -7 degrees that pretty cold and you take away 8 degrees, it is going to get even colder! So the answer must be more negative.
Start at -7 on the number line and go 8 places in the negative direction. The answer is -15
I don't know why I am writing all this I am sure that I have done it before as a post to keep. Not to worry.
Here is a number line that might help you. You'll have to add the negative numbers in yourself.
Here is a site that might also help.
http://www.mathsisfun.com/positive-negative-integers.html
Think about this.......If the temperature was -8 and then it dropped another 7 degees....would it have risen 15 degrees?? No.....it would have dropped -8 + -7 = -15 degrees !!
You're getting this confused with a negative times a negative, which = a positive.
This one is harder to see......suppose you have lost 7 dollars for the last 8 weeks......then in 8 more weeks, you will have 56 dollars less...(8) times (-7). But 8 weeks ago, (-8), you had (-8) times (-7) = 56 dollars more. Does that make sense??
So, adding two negatives produces a negative, but multiplying two negatives produces a positive.
Hope that helps......
Good question!
Two minus make a plus ONLY
1) if they are so close together that you can put a circle around them and there is nothing else in the circle.
Think of it like this if you want
Negative numbers are cold numbers. Like -30degrees would be very cold wouldn't it?
and Positive numbers are hot numbers. An oven might be 180degrees. There is an invisible + in front of the 180.
So 15--2 means you are taking away cold - so it must get hotter
15--2=15+2=17
2) If you are multiplying or dividing
--------------------------------------------------------------------
NOW if you are adding or subtracting positive and negative numbers then you need to think about a number line.
10+3 means you start at 10 and go 3 places in the positive direction = 13
10-3 means you start at 10 and go 3 places in the negative direction = 7
Just continue this method with trickier negative numbers
-3-8 means you start at -3 and go 8 places in the negative direction = -11
OR to put it another way. It is -3 degrees and it gets 8 degrees COLDER = -11 degrees
So lets look at your question
-7+-8 = If you add cold it gets colder so the question becomes
-7-8 Now if it is -7 degrees that pretty cold and you take away 8 degrees, it is going to get even colder! So the answer must be more negative.
Start at -7 on the number line and go 8 places in the negative direction. The answer is -15
I don't know why I am writing all this I am sure that I have done it before as a post to keep. Not to worry.
Here is a number line that might help you. You'll have to add the negative numbers in yourself.
Here is a site that might also help.
http://www.mathsisfun.com/positive-negative-integers.html