Find the sum.
negative 4 plus 16

12

Step-by-step explanation:

To add a positive number and a negative number do this:

1. Keep the positive number as it is.

2. Make the negative number positive by dropping the negative sign.

3. Using the two positive numbers, subtract the smaller number from the larger number.

4. The sign of the answer is the same sign as the larger original number.

Now that you see the rule above, I'll do your problem one step at a time.

1. Keep the positive number as it is. 16 remains as 16.

2. -4 becomes 4.

3. Subtract the smaller number form the large number: 16 - 4 = 12.

4. The original numbers were -4 and 16. 16 is greater than 4, and 16 is positive, so our answer is positive.

-4 + 16 = 12