Year 7 Negative Numbers

Dr J Frost ([email protected])
www.drfrostmaths.com
Objectives: Add, subtract, multiply and divide negative numbers, as well
as raise a negative number to a power.

Last modified: 22nd July 2018

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For Teacher Use:
Recommended lesson structure:

Lesson 1: Adding, subtracting negative numbers.

Lesson 2: Multiplying, dividing and mixed questions.
Visualising negatives with a number line

-8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

For any addition/subtraction of numbers, you should ALWAYS

visualise a number line. How would we visualise the following?

Click Click
3 − 7 = −𝟒 >
−6 + 10 = 𝟒 >

Click Click
−3 − 4 = −𝟕 >
−7 + 5 = −𝟐 >

Bro Tip: Notice that the answer is always

either the sum of the two numbers
(ignoring sign) or the difference.
Test Your Understanding
Copy and complete the following.

a ?
6 − 11 = −𝟓
b 3 − 10 = −𝟕?
c −1 − 5 = −𝟔?
d −10 + 11 = 𝟏?
e −5 + 1 = −𝟒?
f −13 + 6 = −𝟕 ?
g −4 − 25 = −𝟐𝟗?
h −25 + 4 = −𝟐𝟏?
N [JMC 2014 Q7] What is 2014 − 4102?
𝟒𝟏𝟎𝟐 − 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒 = 𝟐𝟎𝟖𝟖
∴ 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟒 − 𝟒𝟏𝟎𝟐? = −𝟐𝟎𝟖𝟖
Adding/subtracting negative numbers

9 + −3 = ?
What is the answer. How could we show it?

9 + 2 = 𝟏𝟏
9 + 1 = 𝟏𝟎
9+0=𝟗
9 + −1 = 𝟖 ?
9 + −2 = 𝟕 ?
9 + −3 = 𝟔 ?
Adding/subtracting negative numbers

5 − −2 = ?
What is the answer. How could we show it?

5 − 2= 𝟑
5 − 1= 𝟒
5 − 0= 𝟓
5 − −1 = 𝟔?
5 − −2 = 𝟕?
5 − −3 = 𝟖?

! +− ⇒ − A plus and a minus become a minus

−− ⇒ + Two minuses become a plus.
Common Misunderstanding:
“Two minuses
−4 − 10 = 14 make a plus!”
What did they do wrong?
Two minuses only become a plus when they’re next to each other.
If we think about a number line can ?see the above doesn’t make sense.

Quickfire Questions: Check Your Understanding:

7 + −5 =𝟐 ? 4 + 10 = 𝟏𝟒?
7 − −5 = 𝟏𝟐? 4 − 10 = −𝟔?
−7 + −5 ?
= −𝟏𝟐 −4 + 10 =𝟔 ?
−7 − −5 = −𝟐? −4 − 10 = −𝟏𝟒?
7 + 5 = 𝟏𝟐? 4 + −10 = −𝟔?
7 − 5 =𝟐? 4 − −10 = 𝟏𝟒 ?
−7 + 5 = −𝟐? −4 + −10 = −𝟏𝟒?
−7 − 5 ?
= −𝟏𝟐 −4 − −10 =𝟔 ?
Exercise 1
1 Calculate the following. 3 Find two numbers which have a sum of -2 and a
difference of 8. Solution: 3 and -5
a −6 + 15 = 𝟗 ? 4 [JMC 2010 Q1] What is
?
b 7 − 15 = −𝟖 ? 2010 + +2010 + −2010 − +2010 − (−2010) ?
c 4 − −7 = 𝟏𝟏 ?
d 9 + −10 = −𝟏 ? Solution: 2010 ?
e −18 + 7 = −𝟏𝟏 ? 5 [JMC 2013 Q6] What is the value of
f −5 − −2 = −𝟑 ? 1−1 −1 − 1− 1−1 ? ?
g −20 − −13 = −𝟕 ? Solution: -2
h −1 − −1 = 𝟎 ?
i −6 + −8 = −𝟏𝟒 ? 6 [JMO
5
2007 A1] What is the value of
4 3 2 1
?
j −2 − (−6) = 𝟒 ? 1 −2 +3 −4 +5 ? Solution: 1
k 5 − (−20) = 𝟐𝟓 ?
l 3 + −24 − 4 = −𝟐𝟓 ? 7 A magic square has the same total in every horizontal
m 1 − 6 − −4 = −𝟏 ? line, vertical, and diagonal of 3 squares. Complete:
n − 6 + −7 + 8 = −𝟓 ? ?
−3 2 ?1 ? ?0
−5 −1
?4 0 ?
−4 2 −2 ? −6

2 Fill in the missing value.

−1 −2 ?3 −3 ? ?1
−4
a −3 + ∎ = 7 ?
∎ = 10 8 [SMC 2009 Q3] What is the value of
b 7 − ∎ = −10 ?
∎ = 17 16 − 25 + 34 − 43 + 52 − 61 ?
Solution: 5
c 8+∎ = 6 ?
∎ = −2
d −2 − ∎ = −8 ∎=6 ? N [Kangaroo Grey 2004 Q5] What is the value of the
e −3 − ∎ = 10 ?
∎ = −13 expression 1 − 2 − 3 − 4 − 5 − 6 − ⋯ −
f −10 + ∎ = −30 ?
∎ = −20 99 − 100 Solution: 48
?
Multiplying Negative Numbers

9 × −3 = ?
What is the answer? Could we show it in a
similar way to how we showed 9 + −3 = 6?

9 + 2 = 𝟏𝟏 9 × 2 = 𝟏𝟖
9 + 1 = 𝟏𝟎 9×1=𝟗
9+0=𝟗 9×0=𝟎
9 + −1 = 𝟖 9 × −1 = −𝟗?
9 + −2 = 𝟕 9 × −2 = −𝟏𝟖
?
9 + −3 = 𝟔 9 × −3 = −𝟐𝟕
?
Multiplying Negative Numbers

−2 × −3 = ?
What is the answer? Could we show how to get it
by starting with 2 × −3 = −6?

2 × −3 = −𝟔
1 × −3 = −𝟑
0 × (−3) = 𝟎
(−1) × −3 = 𝟑 ?
(−2) × −3 = 𝟔 ?
! 𝑝𝑜𝑠 × 𝑛𝑒𝑔 = 𝑛𝑒𝑔 𝑛𝑒𝑔 × 𝑝𝑜𝑠 = 𝑛𝑒𝑔
𝑛𝑒𝑔 × 𝑛𝑒𝑔 = 𝑝𝑜𝑠
Same applies to division.
Quickfire Examples

4 × −1 = −𝟒?
−3 × 7 = −𝟐𝟏?
−5 × −4 = 𝟐𝟎?
−8 ÷ 2 = −𝟒?
−21 ÷ −7 = 𝟑 ?
9 ÷ −3 = −𝟑?
2
−5 = 𝟐𝟓?
3
−2 = −𝟖?
−10 − 2 2 = 𝟏𝟒𝟒
?
 Use your diary coloured cards to vote
for the correct answer in each question.
(Use the front of your diary for blue)

RED ORANGE GREEN BLUE

 Calculate:
−𝟒 − −𝟖

4 −4 12 −12
 Calculate:
−𝟏𝟎 × 𝟓

−5 −50 50 −2
 Calculate:
−𝟏𝟐 ÷ −𝟐

24 −10 −6 6
 Calculate:
−𝟑 + 𝟏𝟑
−𝟑 − 𝟐

2 −2 10 −10
 Calculate:
−𝟑 × −𝟑 𝟐

−18 −27 27 18
 Calculate:
−𝟏𝟎𝟎 ÷ −𝟓 − −𝟑 𝟐

−25 25 12.5 50
Exercise 2
1 Calculate the following: 4 Find two numbers which have the
a −3 × −2 = 𝟔 ? specified sum and product.
b −12 ÷ 4 = −𝟑?
c −9 2 = 𝟖𝟏? a Sum = −7 Product = 12 → -3, -4?
d 4 × −13 = −𝟓𝟐 ? b Sum = 1 Product = −12 → 4, -3?
e 16 ÷ −2 = −𝟖 ? c Sum = −3 Product = −10 → 2, -5?
f −30 ÷ −6 = 𝟓? d Sum = 5 Product = −24 → 8, -3?
g −8 × 3 = −𝟐𝟒 ? e Sum = −11 Product = 30 → -5, -6?
f Sum = −1 Product = −30 → 5, -6?
2 Determine the missing number:
a 8 × ∎ = −32 ∎ =?−𝟒 5 Calculate the following:
b −6 × ∎ = −18 ∎ =?𝟑 −7 + 3
a =𝟏 ?
c −8 ÷ ∎ = −2 ∎ =?𝟒 −11 − −7
d −2 × ∎ = 32 ∎ =?𝟖
2
b −3 − −7 2 × 3 = 𝟒𝟖 ?
3 Calculate the following: c −1 100 = 𝟏 ?
a −4 2 ÷ −2 2 = 𝟒 ? d −2 × 3 3 − −3 − −2 3 = −𝟐𝟏𝟓?
b −3 2 × −7 = −𝟔𝟑? 3 − −7
c 50 ÷ −5 2 = 𝟐 ?
e −4 − −6 (−2−−3)
−
5 + −10
=𝟒 ?
d 1 − −1 × 2 − −2 = 𝟖 ?
e −3 3 ÷ −3 2 = −𝟑 ?