What is the result of adding 5 and -12?

When adding 5 and -12, you are essentially combining a positive number with a negative number. This can be viewed as starting at 5 and then moving 12 units in the negative direction.

To break it down, start with the positive number 5. When you subtract 12, since subtraction is equivalent to adding the negative, you move down the number line. Since the absolute value of -12 (which is 12) is greater than 5, the result will be negative.

Calculating this gives:

5 + (-12) = 5 - 12 = -7.

Thus, the result of adding 5 and -12 is -7. This finding aligns with basic arithmetic rules regarding the addition of positive and negative integers, reaffirming that the process of combining these values results in a correctly calculated negative number.