What are negative numbers?

Part of Negative numbersYear 4Year 5Year 6

What are negative numbers?

Child looking thoughtful next to a whiteboard. On it is a number line with numbers marked in order -2, -1, 0, 1 and 2.

Numbers below zero are called negative numbers.

Counting back from zero, the negative numbers go:

-1, -2, -3, -4, -5…

You say them as 'negative one', 'negative two', 'negative three' and so on.

Positive numbers are greater than, or above, zero. For example:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

Zero, 0, is not a positive or a negative number.

Child looking thoughtful next to a whiteboard. On it is a number line with numbers marked in order -2, -1, 0, 1 and 2.
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Activity: What are negative numbers?

Complete this interactive activity to understand negative numbers. Then put your knowledge to the test.

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Counting with negative numbers

Numbers don’t stop at zero. They continue into negative numbers as you count backwards.

If you start at 2 and count backwards, you get 2, 1, 0, -1, -2, and the numbers keep going.

A number line from -5 to 5 in steps of 1. Above -2, -1, 0, 1, 2 there are four arches with -1 written above them.

Take a look at the next number line where -5 has been marked with an arrow.

A number line from -10 to 10 increasing in steps of 1 with every second step marked with its number. Above the line 5 steps back from zero there is an arrow marking the number. -5.

You can see that -10 is less than -5, because it’s further away from zero on the number line.

With negative numbers, as you move away from zero, the digits increase but their value decreases.

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Example 1

Here is a number line with two numbers missing.

A number line from -5 to 5 increasing in increments of 1. Between -3 and -1, marked on the number line, there is a blank square. Between 3 and 5 there is also a blank square.

Which numbers are missing from the number line?

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Example 2

Numbers, 2, 8, -9, -1 and 5 scattered around.

Order these numbers from smallest to greatest value.

2, -1, 8, -9, 5

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Example 3

Look at this number line. It starts with -9 and ends with 9.

One number is missing from the sequence.

A number line between -9 and 9 increasing in increments of 3. There is a blank box between -9 and -3.

Can you work out which number is missing from the number line?

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Play the 'Mysterious Mountains of Multiplication' and 'Times Table Trials' levels and defend the Kingdom of Mathematica using your maths skills.

Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica, from BBC Bitesize
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