Adding negative numbersīelieve it or not, this is the exact same problem we just solved! Because the absolute value of -7 is greater than the distance between 6 and 0, our answer ends up being less than 0. Because -7 is a negative number, our answer will be one too: -1. Which number has the highest absolute value? In this case, it's -7.

In this case, it means solving for 7 - 6, which is 1. Just find the difference between the two numbers. While the number line makes it easy to picture this problem, there's also a trick you could have used to solve it.įirst, ignore the negative signs for a moment. Even though 7 is larger than 6, you can subtract it in the exact same way as any other number, as long as you understand there are numbers smaller than 0.

Let's take a look at this problem: 6 - 7.

When you're adding and subtracting negative numbers, it helps to think about a number line, at least at first. There are just a few special rules to keep in mind. Using negative numbers in arithmetic is fairly simple. However, |-10| is bigger than |-6| because -10 has a greater distance from 0 than -6. Something important to remember: even though negative numbers get smaller as they get further from 0, their absolute value gets bigger. This is read 'the absolute value of negative three is three.' We represent taking the absolute value of a number with two straight vertical lines | |. Remember how we said 4 and -4 were the same distance from 0? That means 4 and -4 have the same absolute value. When we talk about the absolute value of a number, we are talking about that number's distance from 0 on the number line. 2 is smaller than 1, and -7 is smaller than -2. On this number line, the farther left a number is, the smaller it is. We think of positive and negative numbers as being opposites because they are on opposite sides of the number line.Īnother important thing to know about negative numbers is that they get smaller the farther they get from 0. Everything to the right of zero is positive and everything to the left of zero is negative. You can think of a number line as having three parts: a positive direction, a negative direction, and zero. Take a look at 4 and -4 on the number line: We can write -4 on its own precisely because it doesn't mean subtract 4. You couldn't-because there's nothing to subtract it from. The minus sign doesn't mean you should think of a number like -4 as subtract four. Understanding negative numbersĪs you might have noticed, you write negative numbers with the same symbol you use in subtraction: the minus sign ( - ). So while -7 is negative seven, 7 is positive seven, or simply seven. Watch the video below to learn more about negative numbers.Īny number without a minus sign in front of it is considered to be a positive number, meaning a number that's greater than zero. Not only will I have no money in the bank-I'll actually have less than none because I owe the bank money. If I overdraw my account (take out more money than I actually have), my new bank balance will be a negative number. For instance, in finances negative numbers can be used to show debt. You can also use negative numbers for more abstract ideas. For instance, the temperature on this thermometer is -20, or twenty degrees below zero. For example, have you ever been outside on a really cold winter day when the temperature was below zero? Any temperature below zero is a negative number. However, there are instances in real life where you use numbers that are less than zero. It's difficult to imagine having less than nothing in this case. For instance, if you have 0 pieces of chocolate left in your candy bowl, you have no candy. After all, we often think of zero as meaning nothing. It might seem a little odd to say that a number is less than 0. For instance, -7 is a number that is seven less than 0. en/algebra-topics/exponents/content/ What are negative numbers?Ī negative number is any number that is less than zero.

Integers negative plus negative