Chapter 1 · Numbers · page 1 of 68
Adding signed numbers
levelPre-algebra
standard7.NS.A.1
practiceInteger operations
Adding is moving on the number line. A positive moves you right, a negative moves you left. The sign of the answer is the sign of whichever number is bigger in size.
How to use it
- Same signs: add the sizes, keep the sign.
- Different signs: subtract the smaller size from the larger, keep the sign of the larger.
- Adding a negative is the same as subtracting a positive.
Example
Where it goes wrong
- Adding two negatives and getting a positive. Only multiplying or dividing two negatives gives a positive.
- Adding a negative by moving right instead of left.