Today we continue our journey into the exciting field of mathematics. While a lot of us may have had bad experiences with math, we cannot deny that it is exciting in that the very laws of the physical universe are somehow coded in mathematical language. So we will, retake baby steps in Algebra in the hope that it will create in us a new found joy in Mathematical thinking.
In Arithmetic, we dealt with addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of positive numbers.In this post, we will tackle the addition of signed numbers. Here are some things to consider when working with signed numbers:
1. ) When two numbers have the same sign then you are supposed to add them and retain the sign they carry. Ex. -28 -9 = -37
2.) When two number have opposite signs, then you get the difference and adapt the sign of the bigger number. Ex. -13 + 5 = -8
3.) Adding or subtracting by 0 results in the identity of a number. Ex, 0 -25 = -25
4.) The negative of a negative is a positive. Ex. -(-3) = +3
5.) It is helpful to associate terms of like signs together before doing the operation.
Ex. -10+17-8+14=-10-8+17+14= -18 + 31 = 13
6.) When solving for products or quotients of two numbers, like signs result in a positive number. Opposite signs result in a negative number .
Below are my solutions to Exercise 2 of College Algebra by William Hart.
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