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.
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