Math Lessons Learned

Question:Why would you -.6 *t and not .6*-t.
Answer: Because it is the same answer.

Questions: why is .04-.6 but .04t is multiplication. How would you do .04*-t? would it be .04(-t), or would it be .04-t.. It seems math is like the English language in that there is no strong logic in the consistency other than it is status-quo.

Answer: It is status-quo, an may not follow logic other than that. If a minus sign is between two numbers, the problem is subtraction, if the second number is a positive number, and no plus sign exists, the problem is factoring. It would make more sense to always have parenthesis, or always a multiplicative sign. The grouping of numbers next to each other is a form of a slang shorthand that you get to know as a status-quo just like the English language.

 

 

 

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