Subtracting Integers Worksheet
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Subtracting Integers Worksheet
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Worked Example
Problem: −3 − (−9)
- Keep the first number: −3— The first number never changes in Keep-Change-Change.
- Change subtraction to addition: −3 + — Replace the minus sign with a plus sign.
- Change the sign of the second number: −3 + 9— The second number was −9; its opposite is +9.
- Add: |9| − |3| = 6; the larger absolute value (9) is positive, so the answer is +6.— Now it is a straightforward integer addition problem.
Answer: −3 − (−9) = 6
Frequently Asked Questions
Rewrite any subtraction as adding the opposite (additive inverse) of the second number. For example, 5 − (−3) becomes 5 + 3 = 8. The rule is: Keep-Change-Change (KCC).
Subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive. Removing a debt increases your balance — the double negative cancels to a positive.
Once you apply Keep-Change-Change to rewrite the subtraction as addition, the problems are identical. Subtraction is just addition in disguise.
Yes — Keep-Change-Change (KCC): Keep the first number, Change the subtraction to addition, Change the sign of the second number. Then follow the addition rules.
Temperature changes are a classic context: if the temperature was −4°F and dropped 6 more degrees, the new temperature is −4 − 6 = −10°F.