Negative 4 minus negative 2

Wiki User. Positive 3 plus negative 5 minus negative 2 minus positive 4 is equal to Negative four

Subtracting positive numbers, such as 4 - 2, is easy. When we subtract negative numbers or subtract negative numbers to positive numbers, it gets more complicated. Here are some simple rules to follow when subtracting negative numbers. For example: this is what you have learned before. So, instead of subtracting a negative, you are adding a positive. For example, say we have the problem -2 - —4. So the equation turns into a simple addition problem.

Negative 4 minus negative 2

The rules for adding and subtracting negative numbers works similarly to adding and subtracting positive numbers. When you'd added a positive number, you'd moved to the right on the number line. When you'd subtracted a positive number, you'd moved to the left. Adding and Subtracting Integers. Now, if you're adding a negative number, you can regard this is pretty much the same as when you were subtracting a positive number, if you view "adding a negative" as adding to the left. That is, by plus-ing a minus, you're adding in the other direction. In the same vein, if you subtract a negative that is, if you minus a minus , you're subtracting in the other direction; that is, you'll be subtracting by moving to the right. Graphically, it would be drawn as "an arrow from zero to nine, and then a 'negative' arrow going five units backwards":. Because you now have negative numbers off to the left of zero, you also now have the room necessary in order to complete this subtraction. View the subtraction as adding a negative 9 ; that is, draw an arrow from zero to five, and then a "minus" arrow that goes nine units backwards:. Of course, this method of counting off your answer on a number line won't work so well if you're dealing with larger numbers. You certainly don't want to use a number line for this. But how do you figure out which negative number is the answer? You know now that the answer will be negative, because you're subtracting a number that is, the 9 that is bigger than the one that you'd started with that is, the 5. The easiest way of dealing with this is to do the subtraction normally with the smaller number being subtracted from the larger number , and then put a "minus" sign on the answer:.

What is the answer to 2 minus negative 4? What happened?

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser. Donate Log in Sign up Search for courses, skills, and videos. Intro to negative numbers. About About this video Transcript. Mysterious negative numbers! What ARE they? They are numbers less than zero. If you understand the nature of below zero temperatures, you can understand negative numbers. We'll help.

Negative 4 minus negative 2

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website. To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser. Donate Log in Sign up Search for courses, skills, and videos. Subtracting negative numbers fluently. Review the basic of subtracting negative numbers and try some practice problems. Subtracting negative numbers. Subtracting a number is the same as adding the opposite of the number. Let's look at two examples:.

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When you'd added a positive number, you'd moved to the right on the number line. If you add a cold cube add a negative number , the temperature goes down. For example, say we have the problem -2 - —4. Instead, you control the temperature of the stew with magic cubes. So the equation turns into a simple addition problem. Thank you, Professor Mazumdar! When you subtract a "minus" that is, a negative number from another number, you are actually adding a positive number to that other number. Since the only questionable part was step C , and since using C led to a contradiction namely, saying that zero equals two , then C must be wrong. What is negative 4 minus 2? Resources Leaderboard All Tags Unanswered. So keep counting back three spaces from -2 on the number line. To add a negative, you're in "Drive" but, since you're facing the wrong way, you still plow into the car behind you. Now suppose you have some double cubes and some triple cubes.

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Best Answer. A note to native-English speakers: Don't use the "a double negative is a positive" thing, because that's a thing pretty much only in "proper" English. If you remove a hot cube subtract a positive number , the temperature goes down. Click to share! At step C , I applied the wrong assumption that the minus of a minus should be another minus rather than a plus. Instead, you control the temperature of the stew with magic cubes. That is, by plus-ing a minus, you're adding in the other direction. At step B , I applied the Distributive Property. Rule 2: Subtracting a positive number from a negative number — start at the negative number and count backwards. In the same vein, if you subtract a negative that is, if you minus a minus , you're subtracting in the other direction; that is, you'll be subtracting by moving to the right. What does negative 2 minus 4 equal? The analogies above aren't technical explanations or proofs, but I hope they make the "minus of a minus is a plus" thing seem a bit more reasonable.