A thermometer reads -3 degrees and then rises 5 degrees. What is the new temperature?

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Multiple Choice

A thermometer reads -3 degrees and then rises 5 degrees. What is the new temperature?

Adding a positive amount to a negative number moves you toward zero and into positive territory. Start at -3 degrees and increase by 5 degrees: -3 + 5 equals 2. So the new temperature is 2 degrees. On a number line, you’d move five steps to the right from -3, cross zero, and land at +2. The other results don’t match this increase, so they don’t fit.

Adding a positive amount to a negative number moves you toward zero and into positive territory. Start at -3 degrees and increase by 5 degrees: -3 + 5 equals 2. So the new temperature is 2 degrees. On a number line, you’d move five steps to the right from -3, cross zero, and land at +2. The other results don’t match this increase, so they don’t fit.

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