I steal five dollars from you: minus $5. I steal five more dollars from you: minus $10.
If those two minuses canceled, you would be minus zero.
They don't cancel: you add up the numbers, but it's all minus.
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Yes the negatives cancel each other out
If the exponent is an even number, then yes, because exponents are basically repeated division and negatives always cancel each other out in division. However if the exponent is an odd number, the number will remain negative, because they can't form even pairs to cancel one another out.
Negative 4 minus positive 15 = negative 19
Negative 5 plus positive 5 equals zero, honey. It's like adding a frown and a smile - they cancel each other out and you're left with a neutral expression. So, in math terms, -5 + 5 = 0. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
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