Maths glossary · South Africa
Negative number
A number less than zero, written with a minus sign.
Negative numbers sit to the left of zero on a number line. The further left a number is, the smaller it is.
Example: A temperature of −5 degrees is 5 degrees below zero. −5 is less than −2.
Lessons, worksheets, practice and tools on this: Patterns and algebra.
Related words
- Pattern rule: A description of how a pattern starts and how it changes each time.
- Variable: A letter or symbol that stands for a number you don't know yet, or one that can change.
- Inequality: A statement that two amounts are not equal, using symbols such as <, > or ≠.
- Integer: Any whole number, its opposite, or zero: ..., −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, ...