Operations with integers
Ximena is swimming in a cenote in Yucatán, at $-15$ meters relative to the surface, and she dives $12$ meters deeper. Her brother checks his debit card: he had $\$450$ and there are several charges and deposits. In both situations there are signed numbers being added, subtracted, multiplied, or divided. On this page you will learn how to do it without getting mixed up, and why the rules work.
Adding and subtracting integers
A signed number is a position relative to zero. Adding a positive number means moving to the right on the number line. Adding a negative number means moving to the left.
Calculate the following simple additions and subtractions of integers: a) $(+7) + (+5) =$ b) $(-8) + (-3) =$ c) $(+9) + (-4) =$ d) $(-6) + (+10) =$
Calculate the following simple additions and subtractions of integers:
- a) $(+7) + (+5) =$
- b) $(-8) + (-3) =$
- c) $(+9) + (-4) =$
- d) $(-6) + (+10) =$
Solve the following operations by removing the brackets first: a) $12 + (-5) =$ b) $8 - (+10) =$ c) $(-3) - (-7) =$ d) $(-5) + (+5) =$
Solve the following operations by removing the brackets first:
- a) $12 + (-5) =$
- b) $8 - (+10) =$
- c) $(-3) - (-7) =$
- d) $(-5) + (+5) =$
Nadia has $25$ pesos in her bank account. If the bank charges her an internet bill of $30$ pesos, what will her new balance be? Express the result as an integer.
Nadia has $25$ pesos in her bank account. If the bank charges her an internet bill of $30$ pesos, what will her new balance be? Express the result as an integer.
Problems with balances, temperatures, and levels
The trick is almost always to decide what is positive and what is negative. A balance in your favor, going up, or gaining is $+$. A debt, going down, or losing is $-$. Then you write a sum with all the changes.
At a ski resort in Arteaga, the thermometer read $-4$ ºC at seven in the morning. If by noon the temperature has risen by $9$ ºC, what temperature does the thermometer…
At a ski resort in Arteaga, the thermometer read $-4$ ºC at seven in the morning. If by noon the temperature has risen by $9$ ºC, what temperature does the thermometer show now? Express the calculation using integers.
You are on floor $2$ of a shopping center. You go up $3$ floors to get to the food court and then go down $6$ floors to reach the parking lot. Which floor is the parking…
You are on floor $2$ of a shopping center. You go up $3$ floors to get to the food court and then go down $6$ floors to reach the parking lot. Which floor is the parking lot on? State each movement using an integer.
On the bank statement of a comic book shop, the following transactions appear: Starting balance: $+\$9\,000$ Payment to supplier: $-\$12\,400$ Sale of collectible…
On the bank statement of a comic book shop, the following transactions appear:
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Starting balance: $+\$9\,000$
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Payment to supplier: $-\$12\,400$
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Sale of collectible figures: $+\$3\,700$
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Refund for a defective item: $-\$900$
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Income from subscriptions: $+\$2\,200$
Calculate the final balance of the account. If the bank charges a fee of $\$300$ if the account goes overdrawn (balance less than 0), will the shop owner have to pay it?
Distance between two numbers
How far is a drone flying at $+40$ meters from a fish swimming at $-25$ meters? The distance is the length of the segment joining the two points on the number line. It is always positive.
A diver is at a depth of $-15$ meters relative to sea level. If he decides to descend another $12$ meters, what depth will he be at now? Draw this on the vertical number…
A diver is at a depth of $-15$ meters relative to sea level. If he decides to descend another $12$ meters, what depth will he be at now? Draw this on the vertical number line.
An inspection drone starts at a height of $15$ meters above bridge level. It makes the movements shown in the diagram (climbing in orange, descending in gray): Using an…
An inspection drone starts at a height of $15$ meters above bridge level. It makes the movements shown in the diagram (climbing in orange, descending in gray):
Using an addition of integers, calculate the final position of the drone relative to the bridge. Is it above or below it?
A marine research team uses sonar to measure the distance between a rescue helicopter and a submarine conducting depth tests. If the helicopter is at a height of $+120$…
A marine research team uses sonar to measure the distance between a rescue helicopter and a submarine conducting depth tests.
If the helicopter is at a height of $+120$ meters and the submarine is at a depth of $-85$ meters:
- a) What is the total vertical distance separating them?
- b) If the submarine ascends $25$ meters and the helicopter descends $30$ meters, what will the new distance between them be? Express it using operations with integers.
Multiplying and dividing: the sign rule
Multiplying is adding the same thing several times: $3 \times (-2) = (-2) + (-2) + (-2) = -6$. Three debts of $\$2$ make a debt of $\$6$.
And what if the first factor is negative? Look at the pattern. Each time the first factor goes down by one, the result goes up by $2$:
| Operation | Result |
|---|---|
| $3 \times (-2)$ | $-6$ |
| $2 \times (-2)$ | $-4$ |
| $1 \times (-2)$ | $-2$ |
| $0 \times (-2)$ | $0$ |
| $(-1) \times (-2)$ | $+2$ |
| $(-2) \times (-2)$ | $+4$ |
For the pattern not to break, $(-1)\times(-2)$ has to equal $+2$. You can also think of it as debts: $(-3) \times (-4)$ is taking away three debts of $\$4$. Taking away debts leaves you with $+\$12$ more.
Use the rule of signs to solve these multiplications and divisions: a) $(+4) \times (-3) =$ b) $(-5) \times (-2) =$ c) $(-20) : (+5) =$ d) $(-18) : (-3) =$
Use the rule of signs to solve these multiplications and divisions:
- a) $(+4) \times (-3) =$
- b) $(-5) \times (-2) =$
- c) $(-20) : (+5) =$
- d) $(-18) : (-3) =$
Inverse operations and unknown numbers
Each operation has another one that undoes it:
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Subtraction undoes addition: if $a + b = c$, then $c - b = a$.
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Division undoes multiplication: if $a \times b = c$ (with $b \neq 0$), then $c : b = a$.
With signed numbers it works the same way. For example, $(-4) \times 5 = -20$, so $(-20) : 5 = -4$ and $(-20) : (-4) = 5$. This is useful for checking any result and for finding an unknown number.
Find the integer that simultaneously satisfies these three conditions: 1. Its modulus is greater than $5$ and less than $10$. 2. When multiplied by $-3$, the result is a…
Find the integer that simultaneously satisfies these three conditions:
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Its modulus is greater than $5$ and less than $10$.
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When multiplied by $-3$, the result is a positive number.
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If you add its opposite to it, the result is $0$.
Is there more than one possible solution? Justify your answer.
Complete the following "Integer Wall". The number in each upper cell must be the result of multiplying the two numbers in the cells supporting it.
Complete the following "Integer Wall". The number in each upper cell must be the result of multiplying the two numbers in the cells supporting it.
Find the unknown integer $x$ in each of the following equalities: a) $x \times (-4 + 9) = -25$ b) $(-30) : x + (-12) = -18$ c) $2 \times |x| = 14$ (Find all possible…
Find the unknown integer $x$ in each of the following equalities:
- a) $x \times (-4 + 9) = -25$
- b) $(-30) : x + (-12) = -18$
- c) $2 \times |x| = 14$ (Find all possible solutions for $x$).
Properties: commutative, associative, and distributive
Can you change the order of the numbers or group them however you like? It depends on the operation. To show that a property does not hold, a counterexample is enough: a single case where it fails.
| Property | Addition | Subtraction | Multiplication | Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commutative: $a \square b = b \square a$ | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Associative: $(a \square b) \square c = a \square (b \square c)$ | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Counterexamples:
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Subtraction is not commutative: $5 - 3 = 2$, but $3 - 5 = -2$.
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Division is not commutative: $6 : 3 = 2$, but $3 : 6 = 0.5$, which is not even an integer.
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Subtraction is not associative: $(10 - 5) - 3 = 2$, but $10 - (5 - 3) = 8$.
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Division is not associative: $(24 : 6) : 2 = 2$, but $24 : (6 : 2) = 8$.
Apply the distributive property to calculate these expressions in the simplest way possible (factorise out a common factor when necessary): a)…
Apply the distributive property to calculate these expressions in the simplest way possible (factorise out a common factor when necessary):
- a) $(-7) \times (+12) + (-7) \times (-2)$
- b) $15 \times (-4) - 15 \times (+6)$
- c) $(-10) \times (-3) + (-10) \times (+13)$
A "trio of integers" is said to be balanced if the sum of the first two multiplied by the third results in $-24$. Determine which of the following trios are balanced by…
A "trio of integers" is said to be balanced if the sum of the first two multiplied by the third results in $-24$.
Determine which of the following trios are balanced by performing the corresponding operations:
- a) $(+5, -8, +8)$
- b) $(-10, +2, +3)$
- c) $(-4, -2, +4)$
Combined operations
When several operations are mixed, there is a fixed order, because if everyone calculated in their own order, they would get different results.
The grouping symbols are parentheses $( \ )$, brackets $[ \ ]$, and braces $\{ \ \}$. You work them from the inside out. Inside each one, you follow the same order.
Calculate the result of these simple combined operations, respecting the order of operations (remember: multiplication and division first, then addition and…
Calculate the result of these simple combined operations, respecting the order of operations (remember: multiplication and division first, then addition and subtraction):
- a) $5 + 2 \times (-3) =$
- b) $(-10) : 2 + 8 =$
- c) $4 \times 3 - 15 =$
Calculate the result of the following combined operations, paying special attention to the order of operations and the rule of signs: a) $15 - (8 - 12) + (-5) \times 2$…
Calculate the result of the following combined operations, paying special attention to the order of operations and the rule of signs:
- a) $15 - (8 - 12) + (-5) \times 2$
- b) $(-3) \times [(-2) + (-4) \times (-3)]$
- c) $24 : (-4) - (-6) : (+3)$
- d) $(-10) + (-2) \times (-5) + (-20) : 5$
Solve the following combined operations with square brackets. Remember to perform the operations inside the brackets first: a) $18 - [ 2 + (-5) - (4 - 7) ]$ b)…
Solve the following combined operations with square brackets. Remember to perform the operations inside the brackets first:
- a) $18 - [ 2 + (-5) - (4 - 7) ]$
- b) $[ (-6) \times 2 - (-10) ] : (-2)$
- c) $30 : [ (-4) + (-2) \times (-3) ]$
- d) $(-5) \times [ 8 - (12 : (-3)) ]$
Powers and roots in an expression
A power with a natural-number exponent means multiplying the base by itself: $(-2)^3 = (-2)(-2)(-2) = -8$. With a negative base, the sign depends on the exponent: if it is even the result is $+$ and if it is odd the result is $-$. An exact square root, like $\sqrt{25} = 5$, is the positive number that multiplied by itself gives $25$.
Calculate the value of the following combined expression step by step, strictly respecting the order of operations:…
Calculate the value of the following combined expression step by step, strictly respecting the order of operations:
$(-2)^4 + \sqrt{25} \times (-3) - [(-8 + 10)^3 : (-2^2)]$
Note: Pay attention to the difference between $(-2)^2$ and $-2^2$.
Place the necessary parentheses and brackets in the following expression so that the final result is exactly equal to $-5$: $-15 + 3 \times -4 - 12 : -6 + 1$
Place the necessary parentheses and brackets in the following expression so that the final result is exactly equal to $-5$:
$-15 + 3 \times -4 - 12 : -6 + 1$
Make up a real-life problem that can be solved using the following mathematical expression and then calculate the final result to answer your problem:…
Make up a real-life problem that can be solved using the following mathematical expression and then calculate the final result to answer your problem:
$100 + 4 \times (-15) - 3 \times (10 - 4)$
From a problem to an expression
Many problems ask for a single expression. Follow these steps:
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Decide what is positive and what is negative.
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Write each change in order, with its sign.
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If one quantity depends on another ("twice what he climbed"), use a multiplication.
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Calculate using the order of operations and write the answer with units.
A weather station in the Sierra Madre recorded the following temperature changes over the course of a winter day: 1. At 8:00, the temperature was $-5\ ^\circ C$. 2. At…
A weather station in the Sierra Madre recorded the following temperature changes over the course of a winter day:
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At 8:00, the temperature was $-5\ ^\circ C$.
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At 12:00, it had risen by $8\ ^\circ C$.
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At 18:00, it dropped by $4\ ^\circ C$ compared to the previous reading.
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At 22:00, it dropped again by another $6\ ^\circ C$.
Write a single mathematical expression using integers that reflects all these changes, and calculate the final temperature at the end of the day.
A caving team is exploring a deep chasm. They start at the entrance (level $0$ meters). They make the following moves consecutively: 1. They descend $45$ meters. 2. They…
A caving team is exploring a deep chasm. They start at the entrance (level $0$ meters). They make the following moves consecutively:
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They descend $45$ meters.
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They climb up $12$ meters to set up a base camp.
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They descend three times as far as they have just climbed.
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Finally, they descend another $18$ meters to the bottom.
Write a single expression using integers reflecting the whole process and calculate the depth of the bottom of the chasm.
In a strategy video game, a player starts with $500$ honor points. The rules are: For each battle won: $+120$ points. For each battle lost: $-150$ points. If they lose…
In a strategy video game, a player starts with $500$ honor points. The rules are:
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For each battle won: $+120$ points.
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For each battle lost: $-150$ points.
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If they lose three battles in a row, they are penalised by doubling their accumulated negative score from those three battles.
If a player wins $2$ battles and then loses $3$ battles in a row, write down the combined operation to calculate their final score and solve it.
Back to the beginning: Ximena is at $-15\ \text{m}$ and dives $12\ \text{m}$ deeper, so she ends up at $-15 - 12 = -27\ \text{m}$.