Recognising negative numbers
You have to be able to use negative (or directed) numbers in many everyday contexts, for example with temperatures, bank balances etc.
A temperature of 6 degrees below zero is −6°.
If your bank account is £100 overdrawn, then your balance is −£100.
In your exam, you might be asked to put some numbers in order. You have to remember, for instance, that −10 is less than −5.
Sometimes it helps to see negative numbers on a number line.
Try the question below:
- Question
Order the numbers - 5, −2, 3, −9, −2.5, 0.5.
- Answer
The lowest number in this list is - 9. The highest number is 3. From lowest to highest, the order is: −9, −5, −2.5, −2, 0.5, 3.
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