To evaluate the expression \(-6 - 8 + 6\) using the commutative and associative properties of addition, let's rewrite the expression in a way that simplifies our calculation.
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Rearrange the terms using the commutative property: The commutative property states that the order of addition does not change the result. We can rearrange the terms in our expression: \[ -6 + 6 - 8 \]
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Combine like terms using the associative property: The associative property states that the way numbers are grouped in an addition does not change the sum. Here, we can group \(-6\) and \(6\) first: \[ (-6 + 6) - 8 \]
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Calculate the grouped terms: Now, we can evaluate \(-6 + 6\), which equals \(0\): \[ 0 - 8 \]
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Finish the calculation: Finally, \(0 - 8\) equals \(-8\).
Therefore, the value of the expression \(-6 - 8 + 6\) is \(-8\). By using the commutative and associative properties, we simplified our mental math process significantly.
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