Negative numbers on the number line.

Step 1 of 5

A jump along the line

The number line is a straight line with every number in its own place: zero in the middle, the positive numbers to its right and the negative ones to its left. The further right you go, the greater the numbers. $-5$⁠ sits five steps to the left of zero, like a temperature five degrees below zero.

Adding is a jump to the right: $-2 + 5$⁠ means start at $-2$⁠ and jump $5$⁠ steps to the right. The violet dot is the start. Predict where the jump lands, then watch it.

Step 2 of 5

Subtracting from a negative number

Subtracting is a jump to the left, and that holds when you start left of zero too. Once you answer, the arc shows the jump.

Step 3 of 5

Subtracting a negative number

What happens when the number you subtract is itself negative, as in $-3 - (-5)$⁠? The brackets only keep the sign of the operation apart from the sign of the number.

Think of subtracting as the move that undoes adding. Adding $-5$⁠ moves $5$⁠ steps to the left, so subtracting $-5$⁠, which undoes the adding, moves $5$⁠ steps to the right. Answer, then drag Look inside to see the arc. Try your own values with Operation and Number too.

Step 4 of 5

Adding a negative number

Now you start at $4$⁠ and Operation is locked to Add. You can still reach the ring to the left: the direction depends on the sign of Number together with the operation.

• Adding a positive number: right.
• Adding a negative number: left.
• Subtracting a positive number: left.
• Subtracting a negative number: right.

Step 5 of 5

Which is greater?

The line marks two negative numbers. As everywhere on the line, the number on the right is the greater one. Temperatures make this familiar: a day at $-2$⁠ degrees is warmer than a day at $-7$⁠.