Is –57,233 − –987 positive or negative?

1 answer

To solve the expression \(-57,233 - (-987)\), we first rewrite the subtraction of a negative number as addition:

\[ -57,233 + 987 \]

Next, we perform the addition. Since \(-57,233\) is negative, we need to see how \(987\) compares to \(-57,233\):

  1. Calculate the absolute values:

    • Absolute value of \(-57,233\) is \(57,233\).
    • Absolute value of \(987\) is \(987\).
  2. Now, subtract the smaller absolute value from the larger absolute value: \[ 57,233 - 987 = 56,246 \]

Since \(57,233\) is larger than \(987\), we know that the result will still be negative. Therefore:

\[ -57,233 + 987 = -56,246 \]

Thus, \(-57,233 - (-987)\) results in \(-56,246\), which is negative.

So, the final answer is that \(-57,233 - (-987)\) is negative.