Negative Numbers
Maths: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 5.1.4
Negative Numbers
If we count backwards from zero, we get negative numbers.
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.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Negative Numbers
Which is the biggest number?