1. Let's start by stating the problem: You have the expression $ (50 - 40) + 2 = 12 $ and you want to understand why we add 2 instead of subtracting 2. 2. The expression $ (50 - 40) + 2 $ means we first subtract 40 from 50, then add 2 to the result. 3. Calculate the subtraction inside the parentheses: $$ 50 - 40 = 10 $$ 4. Now add 2 to the result: $$ 10 + 2 = 12 $$ 5. The reason we add 2 (not subtract 2) is because the original expression explicitly uses a plus sign $+$ before the 2. This means we are increasing the value by 2, not decreasing it. 6. If the expression were $ (50 - 40) - 2 $, then we would subtract 2, resulting in: $$ 10 - 2 = 8 $$ 7. So, the sign before the number determines whether you add or subtract that number. In summary, the $+2$ is used because the problem states addition, and the calculation confirms the final result is 12.