A number line can help you visualize this. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_line for an example, and a description.
On a number line, adding 3 means to go 3 units to the right; if you start at -9 and go 3 units to the right, you end at -6, 'tis as simple as that. (Subtracing a number means going a certain number of units to the left.)
3 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 9 = 24
-9
-3
TWENTY 20 2+3=5+6=11+9=20
6-2 = 4 8+7 ≠3 9+5 = 14
1 + 6 + 9 - 8 + 4 - 5 + 2 + 3 = -6
3
Negative 12 minus 3 plus 9 is equal to -6
-9
Addition in decimals is commutative; that is, it doesn't matter what order you add the numbers, they will give the same result. So 3 + 6 = 6 + 3 = 9.
The answer is 9. Simply add the numbers together arithmetically as you would for the problem two plus two. To check your work, a calculator is the best option.
9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 2 + 2 + 23 + 3 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 123