elementary-math Module
Interactive Simulation Screen
SYS_OKLesson Directive // Negative NumbersREF_CORE
The Number Line
Hover over a variable in the formula above, or see glossary below:
Positive Value
Real Number
Negative numbers lie to the left of zero on the number line. Adding a positive number moves right; adding a negative number moves left.
INSIGHT: Subtracting is the same as adding a negative: $5 - 3 = 5 + (-3)$.
Sign Rules for Multiplication
Positive × Positive = Positive. Negative × Negative = Positive. Positive × Negative = Negative.
INSIGHT: Two negatives cancel out — mathematically and intuitively.
Absolute Value
The absolute value |a| is the distance of a from zero on the number line, always non-negative: |-5| = 5.
INSIGHT: Distance is never negative — that is what absolute value captures.