Results 1 to 3 of 3

Thread: Minus problems

  1. November 6th 2008, 06:15 AM #1
    Hamilton Smythe
    Hamilton Smythe is offline
    Newbie
    Joined
    Nov 2008
    Posts
    1

    Minus problems

    Can anyone explain in words why minus one times minus one equals plus one please?
    Follow Math Help Forum on Facebook and Google+
  2. November 6th 2008, 09:34 AM #2
    masters
    masters is offline
    He's dead, Jim
    masters's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2008
    From
    Big Stone Gap, Virginia
    Posts
    2,551
    Thanks
    7
    Awards
    1
    MHF Donor
    Quote Originally Posted by Hamilton Smythe View Post
    Can anyone explain in words why minus one times minus one equals plus one please?
    Maybe this will help you understand:

    Negative and non-negative numbers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Follow Math Help Forum on Facebook and Google+
  3. November 6th 2008, 11:42 AM #3
    Laurent
    Laurent is offline
    MHF Contributor
    Joined
    Aug 2008
    From
    Paris, France
    Posts
    1,174
    Quote Originally Posted by Hamilton Smythe View Post
    Can anyone explain in words why minus one times minus one equals plus one please?
    Here's a way to experience it: If you film yourself walking backwards, and then play the movie backwards, you'll watch yourself walking forward (and a bit awkwardly...). In the process, you multiplied your (forward) speed by -1 two times.
    Follow Math Help Forum on Facebook and Google+
« geometric sequences (please help) | Solving linear equations »

Similar Math Help Forum Discussions

  1. Difference between plus minus and minus plus
    Posted in the Trigonometry Forum
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: December 23rd 2011, 04:14 AM
  2. plus and minus logs
    Posted in the Algebra Forum
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: November 3rd 2009, 10:30 PM
  3. Minus on denominator again
    Posted in the Algebra Forum
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: October 12th 2009, 07:37 AM
  4. plus/minus in TeX
    Posted in the LaTeX Help Forum
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: May 7th 2009, 03:44 PM
  5. phi(x/2) and w(x) minus pi(x)=???
    Posted in the Number Theory Forum
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: April 7th 2009, 03:30 AM

Search Tags


/mathhelpforum @mathhelpforum