Question

Evaluate the expression. \(20+(-17)-8\)

Short answer

The expression \(20+(-17)-8\) equals -5.

Step-by-step solution

Identify the operations

The expression given is \(20+(-17)-8\). This involves one addition operation and one subtraction operation. The numbers involved are 20, -17 and 8.

Perform the addition

Start by adding 20 and -17. When you add a negative number, it's like subtracting that number. So, \(20+(-17)\) is the same as \(20-17\), which equals 3.

Perform the subtraction

Now, subtract 8 from the result of our previous step. So the expression becomes \(3-8\). When you subtract a larger number from a smaller number, the result is a negative number. So, \(3-8\) equals -5.