Please explain adding and subtracting Integers

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I am trying to start again with math, giving it a second shot after i completly gave up on math for about 10y. I looked up multiple cheet sheets and rules, but they all say different things. My problem especially +29 – +59. The rule thing i got from the internet says + – + = larger integer’s sign, but then another tutorial said well if you reverse + and -, then you can get the answer that way, but they are 2 different answers. And i’m confused too about what, like what’s the point of doing the operations if we can just change whatever symbols we want, but then we do but nothing matches as the result so i’m just confused.

I just don’t get it, none of the rules match and in my head none of it even makes any sense. So i feel like i need to memorize the rules, but there are no rules. Pls help, i started crying due to the fustration because now i remembered why i despised math so much.

Update: I started being able to complete operations, even of 5 in a row. Thank you all! Ended up dropping tje unecessary + and just – – = + idk, but i’m doing it.

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19 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Think of positive integers as objects you own, and negative integers as objects you owe somebody.

Your +29 – +59 would usually be written as 29 – 59. But you can think of it as 29 + -59. Here you are adding your 29 objects you own, and your debt you owe of 59 objects. If you paid your debt as much you could, you would have 0 objects and 30 objects still owed (59 – 29). Because they are owed it is negative still, so it would be -30.

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