WHAT IS -18 -47 15?

Answer 1

The answer is -50. On the number line, the origin (or center) is zero. On one side ( generally accepted as the right side) you have positive values and on the opposite side you have negative values. Don't let it confuse you, though. You can add together the absolute value of any numbers that have matching "-" / "+" signs. For Example: -2-2-2 is the same as -6. -1-1-1 is the same -3. +2+2+3 is the same as +7. +5+5+5 is the same as +15. So your expression is:

-18-47+15?

-18-47 is the same as -65. And +15 will remain +15 for the moment. So, following the order of operations your equation should now look like:

-65+15.

Just remember that whatever sign the biggest number has [after you have added all your "same sign" numbers together] that will be the sign the final answer has. To make it simple-

*Always subtract a positive number from a negative number if the negative number is larger. The answer will always be negative.

*Always subtract a negative number from a positive number if the positive number is larger. The answer will always be positive.

*Always add negative numbers together and retain their "-" sign.

*always add positive numbers together and retain their "+" sign.

So, in your problem, 65 is the biggest number and has the "-" sign, so you know your final answer has got to be...that's right...negative! And since the negative number is the largest we subtract the positive number 15 from it.

(-65+15) = (-50) drop your -/+ symbols. Do the math. 65-15 =50. Since your "-" number was bigger you'll put that in front of the answer.

*usually your problem won't look like this, but I did it this way so you could maybe understand more how negative/positive values work.

I apologize if that sounds broken. You could think of -/+ as green and red marbles, five green (+5) and six red (-6) marbles. You DO have eleven marbles. But if you laid these marbles side by side and threw away all the marbles that had a partner of the opposite color, you would have one red (-1) marble left! So, +5-6 is equal to -1!

Hope that helps.