Question

evaluate the following. (a) $-9 + 7 = \square$ (b) $-9 + 7 = \square$

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the operation

We need to calculate \(-9 + 7\). When adding a negative number and a positive number, we can think of it as subtracting the absolute value of the smaller number from the absolute value of the larger number and taking the sign of the number with the larger absolute value. Here, \(|-9| = 9\) and \(|7| = 7\). Since \(9>7\), the result will be negative.

Step2: Perform the subtraction

We calculate \(9 - 7 = 2\), and then apply the negative sign, so \(-9 + 7=-2\).

Answer:

\(-2\)