why doesn't negative change to positive?

[igor_iv837]

-3/6 minus -2/6 and the answer is -5/6 why is it -5 when -3 -(-2) isn't supposed to be -1/6 instead of -5/6???

 

[Deleted member 4993]

-3/6 minus -2/6 and the answer is -5/6 why is it -5 when -3 -(-2) isn't supposed to be -1/6 instead of -5/6???

Is your problem:

$\displaystyle \frac{-3}{6}\, - \, \frac{-2}{6}$

then you should write it as

(-3/6) - (-2/6)

and in that case the answer should be (-1/6)

 

[igor_iv837]

Thank you very much.... i dont know how to write fractions over here...can anybody help me?

 

[tkhunny]

What? Look at the previous post. It is perfectly acceptable to write fractions like that.

-1/6 = -(1/6) = 1/(-6) = (-1/6) = $\displaystyle -\frac{1}{6} = \frac{-1}{6} = \frac{1}{-6}$

It really does not matter how you write it, so long as it's clear what you mean and it is decoded by others as what you mean.

Either your book's answer is wrong, or the problem itself is printed incorrectly, No need to question your ability. you got it right.

 

[soroban]

Hello, igor_iv837!

Assuming you copied the problem correctly, you are correct!

$\displaystyle \frac{\text{-}3}{6} - \frac{\text{-}2}{6}$

$\displaystyle \text{and the answer is }\:\frac{\text{-}5}{6}$ . . . . wrong!

$\displaystyle \frac{\text{-}3}{6} - \frac{\text{-}2}{6} \;=\;\frac{(\text{-}3) - (\text{-}2)}{6} \;=\;\frac{\text{-}3 + 2}{6} \;=\;\frac{\text{-}1}{6}$