Maths · Number & Negatives
Negative numbers (four ops)
Add, subtract, multiply, and divide with negatives.
What Are Negative Numbers?
Negative numbers are numbers less than zero. We write them with a minus sign in front, like −3 or −10. They appear in real life when we measure temperatures below freezing or money owed. On a number line, negatives stretch to the left of zero.
Adding and Subtracting Negatives
Adding a negative is the same as subtracting. For example, 5 + (−3) means start at 5 and move 3 steps left, giving 2. Subtracting a negative is the same as adding: 5 − (−3) means 5 + 3, which equals 8.
Multiplying and Dividing Negatives
When we multiply or divide two numbers with the same sign, the answer is positive. When the signs are different, the answer is negative. Remember: negative × negative = positive, but negative × positive = negative.
Rules Summary
Positive + Positive = Positive. Positive + Negative = subtract the smaller from the larger. Negative × Negative = Positive. Negative × Positive = Negative. The same rules apply to division. Practice helps these become automatic!
Worked examples
1. Calculate −4 + 7
- Start at −4 on the number line.
- Move 7 steps to the right.
- You reach 3, so −4 + 7 = 3.
2. Calculate −6 × (−2)
- Both numbers are negative.
- Negative × negative = positive.
- 6 × 2 = 12, so −6 × (−2) = 12.
3. Calculate 8 − (−5)
- Subtracting a negative is the same as adding.
- Rewrite as 8 + 5.
- 8 + 5 = 13.
Try it yourself
Work out −3 × 4
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