Integers & Negative Numbers
Order, add, subtract, multiply and divide positive and negative integers, and use them in real contexts like temperature.
Overview
Integers are whole numbers, including zero and negative numbers. In Year 7 students learn to picture them on a number line, compare and order them, and carry out the four operations with them. Negative numbers appear everywhere in real life — temperatures below zero, money owed, and depths below sea level — so getting confident with them early matters.
What You Will Learn
- Use a number line to order positive and negative integers
- Add and subtract positive and negative integers
- Multiply and divide positive and negative integers and use the sign rules
- Use negative numbers in context, such as temperature and bank balances
- Recognise and use the symbols <, >, ≤ and ≥ to compare integers
Key Vocabulary
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking −8 is greater than −3 because 8 is greater than 3 (it is the other way round)
- Confusing the sign rules: two negatives multiplied give a positive, but two negatives added do not
- Writing −3 − 4 = −1 instead of −7
- Forgetting that subtracting a negative is the same as adding (5 − (−2) = 7)
What Comes Next
In Year 8 this extends to powers and roots of integers and to standard form, and the sign rules underpin all of the algebra that follows. At IGCSE this becomes part of the Number topic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is −8 smaller than −3?
On a number line, numbers get smaller as you move left. Both −8 and −3 are to the left of zero, but −8 is further left, so it is the smaller number.
What happens when you subtract a negative number?
Subtracting a negative is the same as adding a positive. For example, 5 − (−2) becomes 5 + 2 = 7.
Study This Topic
Topic Details
- Stage
- Year 7
- Strand
- Number
- Framework ref
- 7Ni
- Difficulty
- Low
Build strong foundations in Integers & Negative Numbers
A free trial class with Teacher Rig helps your Year 7 child master Integers & Negative Numbers now — so IGCSE Maths feels familiar, not frightening, later.
Heading toward IGCSE? See how Integers & Negative Numbers develops in IGCSE Number (Cambridge 0580) →