Negative numbers
Negative numbers are numbers less than zero, written with a minus sign to their left (for example, −5). In Grade 4 math from Saxon Math Intermediate 4 Chapter 1, students learn that negative numbers describe real-world situations such as temperatures below freezing, depths below sea level, and financial debt. Zero is neither positive nor negative. This introduction to negative numbers builds the integer number line that becomes central in middle-school math.
Key Concepts
Property Numbers less than zero are negative numbers, written with a minus sign to the left of the digit, like $ 5$. Zero itself is neutral—neither positive nor negative. Negative numbers are super useful for describing things like very cold temperatures below zero, or when you owe someone money, which is also known as a debt.
Example Use digits to write negative twenty: $ 20$. If the temperature starts at 6 degrees and drops 10 degrees, what is the new temperature? The new temperature is $ 4$ degrees. If you have 5 dollars but owe someone 8 dollars, your financial situation can be represented as $ 3$ dollars.
Explanation Negative numbers are the mirror image of positive numbers on the other side of zero. They represent opposites, like owing three dollars ($ 3$) instead of having three dollars ($3$), or a temperature drop!
Common Questions
What are negative numbers?
Negative numbers are numbers less than zero, written with a minus sign: −1, −5, −20. They appear to the left of zero on the number line.
What is a real-world example of a negative number?
A temperature of −10°F means 10 degrees below zero. A bank account at −$50 means you owe $50 more than you have. Both describe amounts less than a reference point of zero.
Is zero positive or negative?
Zero is neither positive nor negative. It is the dividing point between positive numbers (right of zero) and negative numbers (left of zero) on the number line.
When do Grade 4 students learn negative numbers?
Negative numbers are introduced in Chapter 1 of Saxon Math Intermediate 4 as students extend the number line to the left of zero.
How do you compare negative numbers?
On the number line, numbers increase to the right. −3 is greater than −7 because −3 is further right. The number closer to zero is always the larger of two negative numbers.
How do negative numbers connect to subtraction?
When you subtract a larger number from a smaller one (for example, 5 − 8), the result is a negative number (−3). Negative numbers complete the subtraction results that positive numbers cannot express.