How do you know the correct sign to use when you add a positive and negative number?
You take the sign of the bigger number.
What do you have to do to the subtraction symbol in an integer problem?
Turn it into an addition symbol.
What number is neither positive or negative?
-9 + 6 - 2
-5
Bob solved the problem -4 - (-2). He changed the subtraction into an addition problem and turned 4 into a positive number. He got 2. Is he correct? Explain.
He is not correct he should have gotten -2. The four does not change. He did make the problem an addition problem, but he did not change the sign of the second number which should have been -4 + 2. Since they are opposite signs we subtract and keep the sign of the bigger number.