What are opposites in algebra?

Answer 1

usually this means positive numbers and their negative counterparts.

The opposite of a number is its additive inverse. The sum of a number and its opposite is zero. (This is sometimes called the property of opposites, or additive inverse property).

Example:

-999 + 999 = 0; therefore -999 and 999 are additive inverse

(1/3) + (-1/3) = 0; therefore 1/3 and -1/3 are additive inverse

1 + (-1) = 0; therefore 1 and -1 are additive inverse a + (-a) = 0; therefore a and -a are additive inverse,

So, the opposite of -999 is 999; the opposite of 1/3 is -1/3; the opposite of 1 is -1, and the opposite of a is -a.