What does the expression 7 - y represent, if y is a number greater than 7?

What does the expression 7 - y represent, if y is a number greater than 7?

• A. Negative
• B. Zero
• C. Positive
• D. Undefined

Answer: (A)

When evaluating the expression 7 - y, it's important to consider the condition given: y is a number greater than 7. This condition is crucial for understanding the outcome of the expression. If y is greater than 7, then we can consider two examples: if y equals 8, then the expression becomes 7 - 8 which equals -1. Similarly, if y is 10, the expression results in 7 - 10 which equals -3. In both cases, the result is negative. Because y is defined as being greater than 7, it ensures that whatever value is chosen for y will always lead to a subtraction that results in a negative number. Therefore, the expression 7 - y will always produce negative results when y exceeds 7. This makes the expression reliably negative, regardless of how much larger y is than 7, thus confirming that the representation of 7 - y, under the given conditions, indicates a negative value.

When evaluating the expression 7 - y, it's important to consider the condition given: y is a number greater than 7. This condition is crucial for understanding the outcome of the expression.

If y is greater than 7, then we can consider two examples: if y equals 8, then the expression becomes 7 - 8 which equals -1. Similarly, if y is 10, the expression results in 7 - 10 which equals -3. In both cases, the result is negative.

Because y is defined as being greater than 7, it ensures that whatever value is chosen for y will always lead to a subtraction that results in a negative number. Therefore, the expression 7 - y will always produce negative results when y exceeds 7.

This makes the expression reliably negative, regardless of how much larger y is than 7, thus confirming that the representation of 7 - y, under the given conditions, indicates a negative value.