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how do you answer this question about subtraction?

Your second grade sister is learning about subtraction and she says to you: "When you subtract, you always take the smaller number away from the larger number." Based on what you have learned about subtracting integers, explain why your sister’s statement is not always true. Write a problem that supports your written explanation.

It is not always true because answers can be in negative integers, for example,

5 - 8 = -3 we are subtracting a larger nmber from a smaller one.

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 8:10 pm and is filed under subtraction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “how do you answer this question about subtraction?”

  1. B.B. Says:
    October 27th, 2009 at 1:35 am

    Numbers go on infinitely on both sides of 0, so you can subtract a large number from a small number and yield a number on the opposite side of 0.
    2-3=-1
    References :

  2. ozuyatamutsu Says:
    October 27th, 2009 at 1:41 am

    There are two instances where that statement is not true.
    One instance is in the case of negative numbers. The number line continues infinitely on either side of 0.

    5 - 6 = -1

    A second instance where that statement would be false would be in the case of subtracting negative numbers. When you subtract a negative number, you ADD to the first.

    5 - (-6) = 11
    References :

  3. JLP Says:
    October 27th, 2009 at 1:56 am

    It is not always true because answers can be in negative integers, for example,

    5 - 8 = -3 we are subtracting a larger nmber from a smaller one.
    References :

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