5.1.4

Negative Numbers

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Negative Numbers

If we count backwards from zero, we get negative numbers.

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Negative numbers

  • Counting backwards from zero gives negative numbers:
    • 0, -1, -2, -3, -4, -5, ...
  • Negative numbers are shown with a minus sign in front.
  • In words, we read -1 as "minus one".
  • -1 is equal to zero minus one.
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Comparing negative numbers

  • Negative numbers are smaller than zero.
  • The further away from 0 the number is, the smaller it is.
    • -23 is smaller than -5.
  • The numbers bigger than zero are called positive numbers.
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Counting backwards through zero

  • We can continue to count backwards once we reach zero and go into the negative numbers.
  • For example, counting backwards by 4 from 8 gives:
    • 8, 4, 0, -4, -8, -12, ...
  • This gives the four times table but with minus signs in front.

Jump to other topics

1Year 3 - Number

2Year 3 - Measurement

3Year 3 - Geometry

4Year 3 - Statistics

5Year 4 - Number

6Year 4 - Measurement

7Year 4 - Geometry

8Year 4 - Statistics

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