Year 7 · Mathematics
Negative numbers for Year 7: adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers
Integers are whole numbers that can be positive, negative or zero. A number line makes the rules for working with negative numbers easy to see and remember.
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Try asking: “What is a negative number?”
Adding and subtracting on a number line
Adding a positive number moves right; subtracting a positive number moves left. So −5 + 8 means start at −5 and move 8 to the right, landing on 3.
Subtracting a negative
Subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive. For example, 6 − (−2) is the same as 6 + 2, which is 8.
Multiplying and dividing
- Same signs give a positive answer: −4 × −3 is 12.
- Different signs give a negative answer: −4 × 3 is −12.
- The same rules apply to division: −20 ÷ −5 is 4.
Worked examples
What is 4 − 9?
- Start at 4 on the number line.
- Move 9 to the left: you pass 0 and land on −5.
Answer: −5
What is −3 − (−7)?
- Subtracting −7 is the same as adding 7.
- Start at −3 and move 7 to the right.
Answer: 4
What is −6 × 4?
- 6 × 4 is 24.
- The signs are different, so the answer is negative.
Answer: −24
Common mistakes to watch for
- Thinking −8 is bigger than −2 (on the number line −8 is further left, so it is smaller).
- Applying the multiplication sign rules to addition.
Practice questions
Try these, then reveal the answers. For more questions with hints, use the tutor.
1. What is −7 + 12?
Show answer
5
2. What is 3 − 10?
Show answer
−7
3. What is −4 − 6?
Show answer
−10
4. What is −8 × −3?
Show answer
24
5. What is 15 ÷ −5?
Show answer
−3