Evaluate the Expression: 7.5 + (-9.5) + 5 + (-13.5)

The parentheses help us see clearly that we're adding a negative number. So $+(-9.5)$ means "add negative 9.5" which is the same as subtracting 9.5.

Yes! When you see $+(-9.5)$, you can simplify it to just $-9.5$. The plus sign before a negative doesn't change anything.

Try grouping positive and negative numbers separately: $(7.5 + 5) + (-9.5 + -13.5)$. This gives you $12.5 - 23 = -10.5$.

Look at which group is bigger! Here, the negative numbers ($-23$) have a larger absolute value than the positive numbers ($12.5$), so the answer is negative.

Double-check by adding the whole numbers and decimal parts separately, or use the grouping method as verification. Always line up decimal points when adding!