Arithmetic Grade Five
Lesson Thirty-seven: Subtracting Negative Numbers
The difference between a negative and a positive number is the same as the
sum of two negative numbers:
-132 - 153 =
-132 + -153 =
The answer to both of these problems is -285. You probably noticed that 132
+ 153 = 285. Our answer is -285. So, when you start with a negative number
and you subtract a positive or add a negative, you ignore the signs and add
the numbers and then put a negative sign in front of your answer.
Here's another example:
-211 + - 44 =
-211 - 44 =
In either case the answer is -255. You can see that 211 + 44 = 255 and by
placing a negative sign in front of the 255 we get -255.
Of course, you should also realize that you can add a positive number to a
negative number and wind up with a positive answer:
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