Minus or negative numbers
Imagine that piles of dirt or mud are numbers:
1
2
3
and holes are something called minus numbers
–1
–2
–3
You can add numbers and minus numbers by thinking of putting the dirt into a hole.
Put the two piles into the two holes makes flat ground.
When the ground is flat it is 0 or Zero
So 2 +
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–2 =0
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So
3 + –2
means 3 piles + two holes
= 1 pile left
and
1 + –2
means 1 pile + two holes
= 1 hole or –1
which means 2 piles and 3 holes
=
It is best to write
2–3
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1 hole
Try these with paper cups – some are full of water (1)
some are empty (–1) and below the surface
2–1= 1
Pour one of the full cups into the empty cup
Above the surface we have one full cup = 1
Try these
5+2–3
=
4–5
=
3–2
=
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