Algebra 1

Published by Prentice Hall
ISBN 10: 0133500403
ISBN 13: 978-0-13350-040-0

Chapter 1 - Foundations for Algebra - 1-4 Properties of Real Numbers - Practice and Problem-Solving Exercises - Page 28: 52

Answer

No, subtraction is not commutative.

Work Step by Step

If subtraction were commutative, it would mean that we could rearrange the terms being subtracted, and the difference would not be affected. This is not the case. For example, $2-1=1$, but $1-2=-1$. When we rearranged the terms being subtracted, the difference was different.
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