Negative Numbers & Integers

Negative numbers and integers are an important part of maths. They help us describe values that are below zero, such as temperatures, money owed, or positions below sea level.

🔢 Integers are whole numbers — they can be positive, negative, or zero.

... -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 ...

❄️ Negative numbers are numbers less than zero. They are always written with a minus (–) sign.

Examples: -5°C (temperature), -£10 (debt), -3 m (below sea level)

On a number line, negative numbers are to the left of zero, and positive numbers are to the right.

➕➖ Operations with negative numbers:

• Adding a negative is the same as subtracting:
  7 + (-3) = 4
• Subtracting a negative is the same as adding:
  5 - (-2) = 7
• Negative × Negative = Positive:
  -3 × -4 = 12
• Negative × Positive = Negative:
  -5 × 6 = -30

✅ Understanding how negative numbers behave is essential for solving problems in algebra, temperature, finance, and coordinates.