Where did the negative sign go?
A negative sign belongs to the number next to it. Keeping that number together can prevent an almost-correct equation from turning into the wrong answer.
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2 lessons for “Equations with negative numbers”
Which way does the inequality flip?
Sofia divided -2x ≥ 10 by -2 and wrote x ≥ -5, keeping the symbol the way it was. The rule says it flips to ≤.
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What do two negatives in a row do?
Priya multiplied -3 by -4 and wrote -12. She remembered that negatives matter, but she got the rule backwards.
Try this lessonWhat does minus a negative really mean?
Diego saw 5 - (-3) and wrote 2, as if the problem were 5 - 3. But the two minus signs are doing different jobs.
Try this lessonWhat happened when the exponent went negative?
Noor computed 2^-3 as -8. She treated the exponent's sign as the answer's sign, but exponents and values are different things.
Try this lessonWhy can't I just add 7 and 5?
Maya added -7 and 5 and got 12. She counted the sizes of both numbers but forgot that they move in opposite directions.
Try this lessonHow does subtracting the equations remove a variable?
When both equations share a term like 2y, that term becomes your exit: subtract the equations and it disappears.
Try this lessonWhy can't I add the x's to the plain numbers?
Lena simplified 5x + 3 + 2x + 4 and wrote 14x. She combined everything into x's, mixing apples with bananas.
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