Level 3-4 Numbers - Negative Numbers - Addition and Subtraction

Negative or minus numbers are important in KS3 Maths. Integers are whole numbers. They can be positive or negative. Positive numbers are above zero. Negative numbers are below zero and are written with the minus sign in front of the digits. In this quiz you'll learn how addition and subtraction work with negative numbers.

You may wonder why we need negative numbers but we use them all the time. One example is temperatures. Temperatures colder than freezing are negative numbers in the Celsius scale. If you want to know how many degrees more than -5^oC is 16^oC then you'll need to be able to add and subtract negative numbers. Addition and subtraction can be tricky with negative numbers. One method that might help is to rearrange the problem. For example: 21 - 16 = 5 so 16 - 21 = -5.

It all becomes easier with practise so try this quiz to familiarise yourself. Soon it will all be second nature.