How do you simplify #–(–8)#?

Question

Avery Alexander · Accepted Answer

#-(-8) = +8#

The negative of a negative is a positive.

Maybe this example will help(???)

Suppose Joe withdraws $8 from his bank account every week (and has done so for years ever since he inherited a substantial sum). This is the only activity that occurs in this account and Joe's bank allows its customers to overdraw their accounts (i.e. have a negative balance).

Suppose that this week Joe's balance had reached zero (#$0#); next week (i.e. in #1# week his balance will be #-8# dollars; in 2 weeks from now, his balance will be #2xx(-8) = -16# dollars; and so on.

The question is what was Joe's bank balance 1 week before now. We are looking at a week that is #-1# relative to now, when his balance was #(-1)xx(-8)# or equivalently #-(-8) = +8# dollars.

Isaiah Anthony · Answer

This is a bit tricky....

Think of it as a debt...of a debt! You owe me #$8#, so you come to me to give me #$8# and become poorer or "not have" #$8# which can be written as a "hole" into your wallet of #-8#...BUT I am a good guy and I do not care about the debt I put a minus and tell you: "forget about the debt"...so you go away with #$8#....or #-(-8)=+8# into your wallet. Hope it is not confusing...!

Isaiah Anthony · Answer

undefined To simplify –(–8), you multiply –1 by –8, which equals 8. Therefore, –(–8) simplifies to 8.