seven minus negative four

Question

I need to find out what is seven minus negative four

Answer 1

Amanda's answer is correct, but to really understand this kind of problem, think of it this way:

You have some money and you spend $4 at a store. You have $7 left in your pocket. Let's say you want to return the thing you bought for $4. Now you have $7 minus the -$4 spent. In other words, if you had not spent the $4, you would have $7 + $4 = 11. 

Understanding how negative numbers work can be tricky, but it's worth really understanding why and how they work rather than just memorizing rules and formulas! 

Answer 2

7 - (-4) = ?

When you are subtracting negative number, remember that two negatives make a positive.

So in this case:

7 - (-4) becomes 7 + 4, which equals 11.