Using integer chips, we can figure out what negative 2 plus negative 4 is equal to:
- Negative 2 can be represented as two negative integer chips (i.e. -1 and -2).
- Negative 4 can be represented as four negative integer chips (i.e. -1, -2, -3 and -4).
- When added together, this gives us a total of six negative integer chips, or negative 6.
Let’s look at another example: positive 7 plus negative 6.
- Positive 7 can be represented as seven positive integer chips (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7).
- Negative 6 can be represented as six negative integer chips (i.e. -1, -2, -3, -4, -5 and -6).
- When added together, this gives us a total of zero, as each positive and negative integer chip cancels out.
Let’s look at one more example: negative 5 plus 5.
- Negative 5 can be represented as five negative integer chips (i.e. -1, -2, -3, -4 and -5).
- Positive 5 can be represented as five positive integer chips (i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5).
- When added together, this gives us a total of zero, as each positive and negative integer chip cancels out.
Finally, let’s look at three and negative 8.
- Positive 3 can be represented as three positive integer chips (i.e. 1, 2 and 3).
- Negative 8 can be represented as eight negative integer chips (i.e. -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6, -7 and -8).
- When added together, this gives us a total of five negative integer chips, or negative 5, as each positive and negative integer chip cancels out.