How to add negative numbers

What’s so confusing about adding negative numbers? The fact that it

doesn’t follow the rules of adding positive numbers!
When you add negative numbers you are actually subtracting them.
Looking at the sums on a number line will help you to understand and
visualise this. For example:

-7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

3 + - 5 = -2
Start at 3 then move 5 places to the left to make -2.
Finish Start

-7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Take a look at this picture to help you understand.
Think of a tug of war.

negative positive
(smaller) (larger)

Year 5 maths
➜
If you add positive numbers the rope will move along to the make the
number bigger.

negative positive
(smaller) (larger)

If you add negative numbers the rope will move along to make the
number smaller.
negative positive
(smaller) (larger)

Try these sums, looking at the number line and tug of war diagram to
help you.

1) 6 + -2 = 6) 6 + -9 =

2) 4 + -6 = 7) 1 + -4 =

3) 2 + -3 = 8) -1 + -1 =

4) 5 + -8 = 9) -3 + -2 =

5) 2 + -1 = 10) -4 + -2 =
Answers: 1) 4 2) -2 3) -1 4) -3 5) 1 6) -3 7) -3 8) -2 9) -5 10) -6

Year 5 maths