Problem 26 - Elementary Algebra

Question

For the following exercises, perform the indicated operations. $$ -1-12 $$

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

Answer: 11

Step 1: Identify the operation

Notice that the problem is asking to subtract 12 from -1. The operation is subtraction and is represented by the minus (-) sign. So, the problem can be rewritten as (-1) - (-12).

Step 2: Rewrite the problem using the addition of the opposite

Since subtracting a number is the same as adding its opposite, you can rewrite the problem using addition by changing the subtraction operation to addition and changing the sign of the second number to its opposite. The problem becomes: (-1) + 12.

Step 3: Perform the addition

Now, perform the addition (-1) + 12. Since the two numbers have different signs, you need to subtract the smaller number from the larger number and keep the sign of the larger number. In this case, the larger number is 12 and the smaller number is 1. 12 - 1 = 11. So, the final answer is: $$ -1 - 12 = 11 $$