Basic algebra question

In math there is this process known as the communitive property of addition.

2 + 3 = 6

You can swap the numbers and get the same answer:

3 + 2 = 6

That's all well and good for addition, but subtraction doesn't seem work the same. So for example:

2 - 3 = -1

swapping gives you a different answer:

3 - 2 = 1

But... subtraction is really just addition with negative numbers. For example:

2 - 3 = -1
and
2 + (-3) = -1

Now if we swap the two and keep the negative signs in tact everything is cool.

(-3) + 2 = -1

Did that much make sense?

My point with all this is... those two answers you have above are the same thing.

I guess I should have asked a second question. Did Khan Academy tell you your answer was wrong? If so, report the question so the administrators can fix it.

One way to test your answer is to  plug the two equations into a calculator and choose a random number for q to see if you get the same answer for both.

Hey, thanks for the response Steve.

I just typed both expressions into a calculator and see they yield the same result. I have no idea how I was getting different answers for each expression before lol. Seems like I had a little brain fart going on.

Thanks for the help :)