Evaluate the expression.
$-22-(-61)$
The expression to evaluate is \(-22 - (-61)\). This is an arithmetic expression involving subtraction and negative numbers. A fundamental rule in arithmetic is that subtracting a negative number is equivalent to adding its positive counterpart. Formally, this property is expressed as \(a - (-b) = a + b\).
We apply the rule mentioned in the first step: \(-22 - (-61) = -22 + 61\). Now, the problem reduces to calculating the sum of -22 and 61, which is equivalent to finding the difference between 61 and 22. Evaluating this subtraction, we find \(61 - 22 = 39\).
By performing the calculation, we have determined that \(-22 + 61 = 39\). Therefore, the value of the expression \(-22 - (-61)\) is \(\boxed{39}\).
Imagine you are tracking the temperature on a very cold day. If the temperature is currently \(-22^\circ\text{C}\) and it suddenly increases by \(61^\circ\text{C}\), you are essentially performing the operation \(-22 - (-61)\) to find the new temperature. By adding the rise in temperature to the starting point, you calculate the final reading as \(39^\circ\text{C}\). This type of calculation is very common in meteorology and finance, such as when calculating net changes in accounts or fluctuations in physical measurements.