Question

Tell how the commutative and associative properties of addition can help you evaluate the expression using mental math. -6-8+6

Answer 1

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.

1. **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:
\[
-6 + 6 - 8
\]

2. **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:
\[
(-6 + 6) - 8
\]

3. **Calculate the grouped terms**: Now, we can evaluate \(-6 + 6\), which equals \(0\):
\[
0 - 8
\]

4. **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.