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Lesson 2: Negative symbol as opposite

# Number opposites review

Review the opposites of numbers, and try some practice problems.

## What is the opposite of a number?

The opposite of a number is the number on the other side of 0 on the number line, and the same distance from 0.
Example:
start color #e84d39, minus, 5, end color #e84d39 is the opposite of start color #1fab54, 5, end color #1fab54.

## Ways to write the opposite of a number

We can write the opposite of a number using a negative sign.
Example:
The opposite of minus, 2, point, 2 can be written minus, left parenthesis, minus, 2, point, 2, right parenthesis.

## Practice

Problem 1
• Current
What number is the opposite of minus, 524?

Want to try more problems like this? Check out these exercises: Number opposites
Number opposites challenge

## Want to join the conversation?

• what is negative?
• A negative number is any number that is worth less than 0.

-4 is a negative number because it is worth less than 0. -4 would be found to the left of 0 on the number line.
• Can there be negative fractions
• yes no matter what kind of math there is always a negative
• so that also means that the opposite of 0 is 0
• Yes. 0 is neither positive nor negative; the number is "neutral". So, the opposite of the number 0 is simply 0.
• what is the opposite of 657854093221
• -657854093221
• I agree it is for real kind of hard and easy at the same time
• It is so strange how "0" doesn't have an opposite like -0
• That's because if there was a 0 in the whole numbers world and a 0 in the decimal world, it would make sense, or at least for me it wouldn't.
• what is a positive and a negative
• A number is positive if it is greater than or equal to zero. A number is negative if it is less than or equal to zero.
Exsample of a negative number is : -3

Exsample of a positive number : 7

Does that help?
• All videos have been great so far. But the videos about absolute numbers have not helped me much to pass the tests. I feel like I am back at school again when teachers stand over my head and wonder why I don't get it. All the other videos have been so good. :( I simply cannot get the info I need from the related videos

Is it just me? Or does anyone else share my experience with these particular videos?