They appear in lots of places from numerical calculations to algebra
You might come across them in real-life problems such as temperature or debt
What are the rules for working with negative numbers?
When multiplying and dividing with negative numbers
Two numbers with the same sign makes a positive
e.g
and
Two numbers with different signs makes a negative
e.g.
and
For multiplication and division, it’s often easier to calculate ignoring any signs, then making a decision about whether the answer should be positive or negative
When adding and subtracting with negative numbers
Subtracting a negative is the same as adding the positive number
e.g.
Adding a negative is the same as subtracting the positive number
e.g.
Exam Tip
It can help to think of negative numbers as temperature or hot and cold air
Be super careful to remember the rules when adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing with negatives
Your calculator isn’t always as clever as you think… you might need to use brackets to make sure it knows a number is negative e.g.