What is 8 minus negative 8?

Answer 1

8--8 is 16. You use the "keep change change" rule

keep the value of the 8, then change the minus sign to addition and the negative sign to positive, so basically what you are doing is taking away a negative amount of w/e. Think about it that way and math will make more sense.

Say you have 8 beans. If I take (subtract) away 8 beans you will have 0. But if i take away negative 8 beans I am giving you 8.

Let's say your piggy bank has 8 dollars in it (+8). The only reason you have only 8 dollars is because your friend stole eight other dollars (-8). If you "subtract" that theft (i.e. you subtract the taken-away -8 by undoing it), the -8 goes away and you are back to +16. Hope that helps you to understand conceptually.