Chapter R.7, Problem 1DE

Subtract.

$5-11$

To determine

To calculate: The value of the expression, $5-11$.

Answer to Problem 1DE

Solution:

The required value of the expression $5-11$ is $\underset{\_}{-6}$.

Explanation of Solution

Given information:

The provided expression is $5-11$.

Formula used:

For any real numbers a and b, add the opposite of the number to subtract it from the number as below:

$a-b=a+\left(-b\right)$

Further use the rules of addition as below to simplify.

Step 1. To add the positive numbers, add the numbers and the result is positive.

Step 2. To add negative numbers, add the absolute values and make the answer negative.

Step 3. The numbers with same absolute value and opposite signs add up to 0.

Step 4. If the numbers are of different absolute values, subtract the smaller value from the larger value and put the sign of the value with greater absolute value to the answer.

Step 5. If one number is zero, then its sum with a number is the number other than zero.

Calculation:

Consider the provided expression that is

$5-11$

Add the opposite of the numbers to subtract it and simplify as below,

$5-11=5+\left(-11\right)$

Add by the rules of addition as,

$5+\left(-11\right)=-6$

Hence, the subtraction of the expression $5-11$ is $-6$.