subtract 5m-6 from m-9

Question

the text book says the answer is -4m-3 but i got +4m-3 how is that so?

Answer 1

Hello Dsadsf,

 

Let's set this up

 

(m-9) - (5m-6)

 

If we remove the parentheses, we need to distribute the -1 to the 2nd term

 

m-9-5m+6

 

Now combine terms

 

-4m-3

 

Two things to watch out for.

1) The question says subtract 5m-6 from m-9.  It's a very common error to reverse the terms.

2) Remember to distribute the -1 (the minus sign)...using parentheses helps a lot in setting this up.