Question

Find the sum of $ - 73$,$27$, $ - 103$ and $ - 123$?

Answer 1

Hint: In order to find the sum of negative and positive values, we should remember some important points like, subtraction or addition of two positive numbers are done as usual, similarly for two negative numbers but for one negative and one positive the values are always subtracted and the value which is larger, their sign will be there in the output.

Complete step-by-step answer:
We are given four numbers $ - 73$,$27$, $ - 103$ and $ - 123$, where three numbers are negative and one is positive.
To find their sum we would go step by step by adding two numbers at time or adding similar sign objects at a time. First, we would add all the negative numbers given above that are $ - 73$, $ - 103$ and $ - 123$.
Since, their sign is same that is they are all negative, so we would add the values and would attach negative sign in the output, through this method we get:
$ - 73 + \left( { - 103} \right) + \left( { - 123} \right) = \left( { - 73 - 103 - 123} \right) = \left( { - 299} \right)$
Now, we are left with only a number to add that is $27$, but this positive. So, since we know that adding two numbers that have opposite signs are subtracted and the value which is larger, their sign would be attached in the output.
So, following this we get:
 \[27 + \left( { - 299} \right) = \left( {27 - 299} \right) = \left( { - 272} \right)\] .
In this way all the four numbers are added.
Therefore, the sum of $ - 73$,$27$, $ - 103$ and $ - 123$ is \[ - 272\] .
So, the correct answer is “-272”.

Note: For multiplication, if two numbers are positive and multiplied would give a positive number. And two negative numbers multiplied would also be a positive number, whereas if one positive and one negative number are multiplied, then the output will always be a negative number. In the case of multiplication, there is no case of larger or smaller value.