Question

use the chips to subtract.
-5 - 2
(a) show how to do the problem. click here to learn more about these chips.
chip bank
(b) write the answer.
-5 - 2 =

Explanation:

Step1: Represent -5 with negative chips

Take 5 pink (-) chips to stand for $-5$.

Step2: Subtract 2 (remove positive chips)

Since subtracting 2 means removing 2 yellow (+) chips, but we have no positive chips, we add 2 pairs of + and - chips (each pair equals 0, so value stays $-5$). Now we have 5 (-) chips + 2 (+) chips + 2 (-) chips. Remove the 2 (+) chips, leaving $5+2=7$ (-) chips.

Step3: Calculate the final value

7 negative chips represent $-7$.

Answer:

$-5 - 2 = -7$