Your explanation of (7 + (-2)) using tiles is clear and accurate. Let's break it down step by step:
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Start with the initial tiles: You have 7 positive tiles and 2 negative tiles. This represents the expression \(7 + (-2)\).
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Create zero pairs: A zero pair consists of one positive tile and one negative tile. You can pair 2 positive tiles with 2 negative tiles to create 2 zero pairs.
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Remove the zero pairs: By removing these 2 zero pairs from your collection, you will eliminate the negative tiles and 2 of the positive tiles. After this step, you have:
- 7 positive tiles - 2 positive tiles (used in pairs) = 5 positive tiles remaining.
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Conclusion: After removing the zero pairs, you have 5 positive tiles left. Therefore: \[ 7 + (-2) = 5 \]
This method visually and conceptually illustrates how addition works with positive and negative numbers. Well done!