negative number definition
Mathematics · High School · Tue Nov 03 2020
Answered on
A negative number is any number that is less than zero. It can range up from zero to negative infinity (0, -∞). It is categorized as a real number, and a negative integer, hence a negative number can easily be recognized because of its negative sign denoted as " - ".
In vector representation, negative numbers often represent the opposite direction. Like for example;
The speed of a falling rock is -3 m/s, meaning that the rock is going down at rate of 3 meters per second. If we say the speed of a rock is 3 m/s, then its movement is going up.
This can be summarized that, if a positive number represents a movement to the right, negative represents a movement to the left. If positive represents above sea level, then negative represents below sea level.