Junior High School Department | Mathematics

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MATHEMATICS PROGRAM
Week 1_Day 4-5 (August 8-9 2024)

ELEMENTARY ALGEBRA

Topic : Perform addition and subtraction of Integers

How to Add Integers?

The rules for adding integers are given below:

 The sum of an integer and its additive inverse is 0. For example, 4 + (-4) = 0

 Adding two positive integers always results in a positive value. For example, 6 + 6 = 12

 Adding two negative integers always results in a negative number. For example, (-6) + (-6) = -
12

 Adding integers with 0 results in the same number. For example, 6 + 0 = 6, and -8 + 0 = -8

 Adding a positive number with a negative number is done by finding the difference between
the absolute value of both numbers. Then, the sign with the greater number gets attached
to the sum. For example, +7 - 3 = +4

The rules for the addition of integers can be understood with the help of the table given below.

Adding Integers with the Same Sign

When we add two integers with the same sign, we add their absolute values and attach the common
sign with the sum. For example, 2 + 3 = 5, (-2) + (-3) = - (2 + 3) = -5. The absolute value of a number is
the positive value of the given number. For instance, the absolute value of 6 is 6, the absolute value
of -6 is 6, and so on. Some examples of adding integers with the same sign are given below:

 (-1) + (-9) = - (1 + 9) = -10

  3 + 8 = 11

 (-2) + (-17) = - (2 + 17) = -19

Adding Integers with Different Signs

Adding two integers with different signs is done by subtracting the absolute values, and then
attaching the sign of the number with the greater absolute value. For example, if we want to add -2
and 3, first we find the absolute values of both. The absolute value of -2 is 2, and of 3 is 3. Now, find
the difference between these absolute values which is 3 - 2 = 1. Since 3 > 2, and 3 has a positive sign,
the sign of the resultant number will be positive. Therefore, - 2 + 3 = 1.

Adding Integers on a Number Line

The addition of integers on a number line is based on the given principles:

 Adding a positive number is done by moving towards the right side (or the positive side) of
the number line.

 Adding a negative integer is done by moving towards the left side (or the negative side) of
the number line.

 Any one of the given integers is taken as the base point from where we start moving on the
number line.

Now, let us learn how to add integers on a number line.

 Step 1: The first step is to choose a scale on the number line. For example, whether we want
to plot numbers in multiples of 1, 5, 10, 50, and so on depends on the given integers. For
example, if we have to add 10 and -30, we can take a scale of 10 on the number line to ease
our work.

 Step 2: If we have to add -2 and 7, we can take a scale of counting numbers starting from 1.

 Step 3: The next step is to locate any one of the integers on the number line, preferably a
number with a greater absolute value. For example, if we need to add 2 and 19, it is better if
we locate 19 on the line first and then take 2 jumps towards the right, rather than locating 2
and then take 19 jumps.

 Step 4: The final step is to add the second integer to the number located in the previous step
by taking jumps either to the left or to the right depending on whether the number is
positive or negative.

Let us take an example to understand more about adding integers on a number line.

Example: Use the number line and add the following integers: 5 + (-10)

Solution: Since we need to add a negative number (-10), we will move towards the left on the
number line. Starting from 5, we will take 10 steps towards the left which will bring us to -5.
 Subtraction of Integers Using Number Lines

Number lines are useful tools for visualising simple arithmetic operations, especially addition and
subtraction.

To subtract integers on a number line, we need to move towards the left side when subtracting
a positive number from a given number. On the other hand, when we subtract a negative integer
from a given number, we move towards the right side of the number line.

So, the difference 3−4 can be represented on the number line as follows:

[Figure 7]

We start at 0 and move 3 units to the right on the number line as the first number is positive.

To subtract a positive integer, we move to the left of the number line. Here, the second number is
positive. So, move 4 units to the left. The answer is -1.

Thus, we have 3−4=(−1).

Similarly, the difference (−3)−4 can be represented on the number line as follows:

[Figure 8]

We start at 0 and move 3 units to the left on the number line as the first number is negative.
To subtract a positive integer, we move to the left of the number line. Here, the second number is
positive. So, move 4 units to the left. The answer is -7.

Thus, we have (−3)−4=−7

The difference 3−(−4) can be represented on the number line as follows:

[Figure 9]

We start at 0 and move 3 units to the right on the number line as the first number is positive.

To subtract a negative integer, we move to the right of the number line. Here, the second number
is negative. So, move 4 units to the right. The answer is 7.

Thus, we have 3−(−4)=7

The difference (−3)−(−4) can be represented on the number line as follows:

[Figure 10]

We start at 0 and move 3 units to the left on the number line as the first number is negative.

To subtract a negative integer, we move to the right of the number line. Here, the second number
is negative. So, move 4 units to the right. The answer is 1.

Thus, we have, (−3)−(−4)=1

Steps for Subtracting Integers

To subtract two integers on a number line, we follow the following steps:

Step 1: Draw a line and choose an arbitrary point as 0, with negative numbers to the left of 0 and
positive numbers to the right of 0.

Step 2: Start from 0 and move as many points as the first number to the

i. right of 0 if the first number is positive.

ii. left of 0 if the first number is negative.

Step 3: Move as many points as the second number to the

i. left of the first number if the second number is positive.

ii. right of the first number if the second number is negative.

Step 4: The resultant number obtained in the previous step is the required difference between the
given integers.

A. Add the following integers

a. 4 + -2 = ______
b. -6 + 5 = ______
c. 2 + -6 = ______
d. -3 + -7 =______
e. 2 + 6 = ________
B. Subtract the following numbers using a number line.

a. 6−(+5)
b. 8−(−4)
c. 7−(−16)
d. −2−(+9)
e. −8−(+19)