From the opposite of the greatest 2-digit number subtract the greatest 1-digit positive integers.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The greatest 2-digit number is 99. The opposite of 99 is -99.
The greatest 1-digit positive integer is 9.
Now, subtract the greatest 1-digit positive integer from the opposite of the greatest 2-digit number:
-99 – 9 = -108.
Explanation:
The greatest 2-digit number is 99 because it is the largest number that has exactly two digits, ranging from 10 to 99. The “opposite” of a number means its additive inverse, which is the same number but with the opposite sign. For 99, the opposite is -99.
The greatest 1-digit positive integer is 9 since positive single-digit integers range from 1 to 9.
When subtracting, we take the opposite of 99, which is -99, and subtract 9 from it. This means we are doing -99 minus 9. Subtracting a positive number from a negative number makes the result more negative. Thus, -99 minus 9 equals -108.
This calculation shows the importance of understanding the concepts of the greatest numbers in specific digit ranges, the meaning of opposites in numbers, and the rules of subtraction involving negative numbers.