negative 8 minus 6
Understand the Problem
The question is asking us to perform a subtraction operation involving the integers -8 and -6. We will calculate the result of negative 8 minus 6.
Answer
The answer is $-2$.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is $-2$.
Steps to Solve
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Identify the operation We are asked to subtract -6 from -8. This can be expressed mathematically as: $$ -8 - (-6) $$
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Apply the rule for subtracting a negative When subtracting a negative number, it is equivalent to adding the positive of that number. Thus, we have: $$ -8 - (-6) = -8 + 6 $$
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Perform the addition Now, we add -8 and 6: $$ -8 + 6 = -2 $$
The final answer is $-2$.
More Information
Subtracting a negative number actually increases the value (moving closer to zero on the number line). This is a crucial concept in understanding operations with negative integers.
Tips
- A common mistake is forgetting that subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive. To avoid this, remember that $-(-x) = +x$.