How do you reduce #-\frac { - 64} { 4}#?

1 Answer
Tony B
Jan 28, 2017

#+16#

Explanation:

When dealing with numbers for multiplication or division you do it in 2 stages.

Stage 1: the signs

Stage 2: the numbers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)("Stage 1")#

We have 2 negatives so 2 negatives make a positive.

#color(brown)("Very important fact")#
Negative is a state (where it is on the number line)
Minus is an action. It means 'remove'. So 3-2 is
3 remove 2 leaving 1. Where as -2 on its own is negative 2

Sometimes you will see the format: negative 3 written as #color(white)()^(-) 3#
#" "#and positive 3 written as #color(white)()^(+) 3#

However, this is not very commonly done.

Having said this, people will insist on saying minus 3 when they should say negative 3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)("Stage 2")#

#(64-:4)/(4-:4) = 16/1 = 16#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#color(blue)("Putting it all together")#

#-(-64)/4=+16#

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