Adding Integers

​There are 3 different situations you might see when adding integers

​

​1.) Positive + Positive

​2.) Negative + Negative

​3.) Positive + Negative

​This is the basic one.

​

​This is like 4 + 5 = 9

​

​You have 4 Good Guys and you get 5 MORE Good Guys to join your Good Guy Army.

​

​You just add them up and now you have 9 Good Guys.

​This is JUST LIKE positive + positive, but your answer will be negative.

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​-4 + (-5) = -9

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​I have 4 BAD guys and 5 more BAD guys so now I have 9 BAD guys

​You might see this type of question written a few different ways

​

​-2 + (-4) = -6​

​or

​-2 + -4 = -6

​or

​-2 -4 = -6

​

​Don't be scared. It's all the same.

​This is where it gets harder. If you have SOME positives and SOME negatives you need to figure out which you have more of.

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​50 + (-60) = More negatives so answer will be negative

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​-4 + 50 = More positives so answer will be positive

​Once you know whether your final answer is positive or negative, then you must subtract the number with the highest absolute value minus the number with the smaller absolute value.

​

​-50 + 20 = Answer will be negative

​​50 - 20 = 30

​

​Final answer = -30

​If it helps you to think of a Good Guy vs Bad Guy battle then do it.

​

​-50 = 50 bad guys

​+20 = 20 good guys

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​Bad guys will win. They will have 30 bad guys left over

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​-50 + 20 = -30