Example

Translating and Simplifying 'the sum of 99 and 16-16, increased by 44'

To translate and simplify the English phrase "the sum of 99 and 16-16, increased by 44," begin by converting the words into a mathematical expression. The word "sum" instructs us to add the first two numbers together, so we group them: 99 and 16-16. The phrase "increased by" tells us to add 44 to the result of that group. Using brackets to define the order of operations, the translation is:

[9+(16)]+4[9 + (-16)] + 4

To simplify, evaluate the expression inside the brackets first. Adding numbers with different signs requires subtracting their absolute values (169=716 - 9 = 7) and keeping the sign of the number with the larger absolute value, which gives 7-7. Finally, add the remaining constant: 7+4=3-7 + 4 = -3. The fully simplified answer is 3-3.

0

1

Updated 2026-05-01

Contributors are:

Who are from:

Tags

OpenStax

Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Ch.1 Foundations - Intermediate Algebra @ OpenStax

Algebra

Related