A student evaluated - 4+x for x = - 9 1/2 and got an answer of 5 1/2. What might the student have done wrong?

Question

Austin Douglas

Mathematics

3 October, 05:50

A student evaluated - 4+x for x = - 9 1/2 and got an answer of 5 1/2. What might the student have done wrong?

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Answers (1)

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Sergio Lamb · Answer 1

When you add two negatives, there is no way you can get a positive answer.

What they did was change the - 9 1/2 to a positive when plugging it into the equation. That or the student believe that addition of negatives followed the same rules as multiplication/division.