I dont understand this question!!! please help me!!! i really appreciate it!! love ya
2007-02-17 08:03:10 · 17 answers · asked by ? 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Mathematics
When you're dealing with negative numbers everything is opposite of positive numbers. If you draw a number line on the horizontal plane, the positive numbers goes left to right from the zero to infinity, while the negative numbers goes right to left starting at zero to infinity as well.
Math operations have to be consistent if you are dealing with negative numbers. So as another poster said, if you add 6 to -4 you get 2, if you add 6 to -5 you get 1. 2 is larger than 1, therefore, because of the law of balance in math just like in the Universe (think yin-yang) -4 is larger than -5.
It's a good question for someone like me who analyzed every little thing in school. It's also a mind blower of a question for a dyslexic.
2007-02-17 08:16:42 · answer #1 · answered by wordswirth 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are correct. It really isn't. 4 is 4 wheither it is positive or negative.
Suppose you had a friend who needed $9. She borrowed $5 from you and $4 from your brother. When you both were repaid, who has more money? You do.
On the other hand, who would be wealthier/ A friend who owed someone $5 or you if you owed someone $4. From this point of view, you would be wealthier if you only owed $4.
Its all in how you look at it.
2007-02-17 16:18:49 · answer #2 · answered by p v 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
4 is less than 5. 5 is more positive than 4
-5 is less than - 4. -4 is more positive than - 5
Integers
. . . .-5 - 4 -3 -2 - 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 . . . .
- - - - - - - - - -s-
2007-02-17 16:17:53 · answer #3 · answered by SAMUEL D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because negative numbers means as you get farther away from zero you get smaller, while positive gets bigger as you go further from 0. If you add ten to both -5 & 5, you'll see that the 5 is much larger because 5+10=15 while -5+10=5.
2007-02-17 16:08:28 · answer #4 · answered by Jedi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In positive numbers the larger one is always bigger, because you count: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. For negative numbers as you count higher your actualy counting lower, because your subtracting from the orignal number.So the larger number in negitives is actualy smaller.
That help?
2007-02-17 18:11:00 · answer #5 · answered by River 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
4 is less than five, that one is a no-brainer. But -4 is more than -5 because you are going backwards. Think of it this way:
If you are digging a hole and you go until the hole is 4 feet deep (-4), that is not as far down as 5 feet deep (-5). -4 is closer to the ground level than -5 is.
2007-02-17 16:08:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I saw a football analogy once. The number zero is the middle of the field (0-yard line), positive numbers are closer to your goal than zero, negative numbers are further away.
Therefore, which is closer to your goal, 4 or 5? And, which of -4 and -5?
HTH.
2007-02-17 16:56:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
4 < 5
Subtract 9 from both sides
-5 < -4
2007-02-17 16:15:57 · answer #8 · answered by Tom :: Athier than Thou 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Imagine a number line:
<------------------------------------------------------------------->
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Numbers to the left are smaller, numbers to the right are larger, therefore, -5 is less than -4, and 4 is less than 5!
2007-02-17 16:08:17 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
-4 is closer to zero than -5. which makes -4 greater than -5.
you can get a better picture by drawing a number line.
2007-02-17 16:19:40 · answer #10 · answered by CASEY F 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋