Negative Numbers in Daily Life

The relationship between the positive and negative numbers in daily life, as well as zero, is normally expressed in the form of a number line shown below:

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Numbers that appear farther to the right on the number line are greater, whole numbers that appear farther to the left are less. Thus zero appears generally in the middle of the number line, with the positive numbers to the right of the line and the negative numbers to the left of the number line.

See that a negative number having a greater magnitude is considered far less. For example, even though (positive) number 8 is bigger than (positive) 5, it is written as

8 > 5

Where a negative 8 is taken to be less than negative 5:

-8 < -5.

(Because, for example, if you have £-8, a debt of £8, you would have less after adding, say £3, to it than if you have £-5.) It follows that any negative number is a smaller amount than any positive number, so

-8 < 5  and -5 < 8.

In this article we are going to understand the importance of positive and negative numbers in daily life, how do you use negative and positive numbers in daily life, and where do we use negative numbers in our daily life.

What are Integers?

• The collection of all positive as well as negative numbers including zero is referred to as integers. ⇒ Numbers such as…, - 4, - 3, - 2, - 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, … are known to be integers.

Representing Integers on the Number Line

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• First, we have to draw a line and mark to some extent as 0 is there.

• The points which are marked to the left side (-1, -2, -3, -4, -5, -6) are known as negative integers.

• The points that are marked to the right (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) or (+1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6) are known as positive integers.

Addition of Integers

Positive Integer + Negative Integer

• Example: (+5) + (-2) Subtract: 5 - 2 = 3 Sign of larger integer (5): + Answer: +3

• Example: (-5) + (2) Subtract: 5-2 = 3 Sign of larger integer (-5): - Answer: -3

Positive Integer + Positive Integer

• Example: (+5) + (+2) = +7

• Add the two integers and add the positive sign.

Negative Integer + Negative Integer

• Example: (-5) + (-2) = -7

• Add the 2 integers and add the negative sign.

Subtraction of Integers

Rule 1: Subtracting a +ve number with a +ve number - it is just our normal subtraction.

For example, this is often what you've learned before. 6 and 3 are two positive numbers. So, solve this equation the way you usually have done before: 6 - 3 = 3.

Rule 2: Subtracting a +ve number from a -ve number - count backward starting at the negative number.

For example: Suppose, we have the problem given as -2 - 3. Using the number line, we start at -2 point.

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Now let’s count backward 3 units. Now we keep counting from the back, three spaces starting from -2 on the given number line.

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The answer is -2 - 3 = -5.

Rule 3: Subtracting a -ve number from a -ve number - A symbol which is followed by a negative sign, turns the two given signs into a symbol.

So, rather than subtracting a negative, you're adding a positive. Basically, - (-4) becomes +4, then you add the numbers.

For example, say we have the numbers -2 - -4. This would read “negative two minus negative 4”. So we’re changing the 2 negative signs into a positive, therefore the equation now becomes -2 + 4.

On the number line, it starts at -2.

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Then we move forward with 4 units: +4.

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The answer is -2 - (-4) = 2.

Use of Negative Numbers in Daily Life

Irrespective of their value, they need a broad connection to lifestyle. These numbers are widely used in different fields. Some of the real-life examples are given below.

When are negative numbers used in daily life and the use of negative numbers in daily life (Everyday Examples)?

The use of negative numbers in daily life is taken into account in many different situations. 

1. Finance and Banking

Here’s one field where we see the use of negative numbers in daily life. Finance and banking are all about money, credit, and debit. Therefore, we'd like some numbers which help differentiate a credit amount from a debit amount. Another part is the profit and loss. All these are mathematically expressed by using positive and negative integers. If someone debited to someone it's represented by a sign. The stock exchange is another field that widely uses negative integers to point out its share price and ups and downs.

2. Science

Use of Negative Numbers in Daily Life is usually observed in weather broadcasting. Thermometers are vertical number lines that measure the temperature of a body also because of the temperature of a neighborhood. Meteorologists use negative numbers to point out the cold condition of a neighborhood like -15 ˚ C. Even when the blood heat goes down a negative integer is employed to represent the condition. Temperature below zero is marked with a negative sign while a temperature is above zero which is denoted with the positive sign. Other conditions that normally depend on the integers are batteries, signs, overweight, and underweight. There are many more uses of negative numbers in daily life.

3. In Sports

• For the goal difference in context to sports such as football and hockey or to calculate the points difference in rugby football; the net run rate in cricket; golf scores relative to par are calculated in negative numbers.

• Secondly for ice sports, the plus-minus in ice hockey, that is the difference in total goals scored for the team (+) and against the team (−) when a particular player is on the ice is the player's +/− rating. Here, the mates can have a negative (+/−) rating.

• Run differential in baseball: the run differential is negative if the team gives away more runs than they have scored.

• Lap (or sector) times in Formula 1 is calculated as the difference compared to a previous lap (or sector) (such as the previous record, or the lap just completed by a driver in front), it is calculated as positive if the previous lap is slower and negative if the previous lap is faster.

• In some athletics events, such as sprint races, hurdles, the triple jump, and the long jump, the wind assistance is measured as part of the sports and recorded, and is deemed to be positive for a tailwind and negative for a headwind.

4. Other instances of the use of negative numbers include:

• Negative storey/ floor numbers in a building elevator: The storey/floors that are below the ground floor (underground) of a building are sometimes numbered in negation.

• When an audio file is played on a portable media player, such as an iPod, the screen display usually shows the time remaining (deficit time) as a negative number, which then increases up to zero at the same rate similar to the way in which time already played increases from zero.

• In various television game shows, participants on QI often finish with a negative points score. 

• In participating teams on University Challenge, teams have a negative score if their first answers are incorrect and/or interrupt the question.

Solved Examples

Example: 1) At a given place and time, it is observed that overnight the temperature drops from 5 ºC to -14 ºC. Calculate with the help of your mathematical reasoning, by how many degrees did the temperature fall?

Ans. The temperature drop (as recorded)= 5 ºC to -15 ºC

5 -15 = 10 ⇒ 10 ºC

Therefore, the temperature fell by 10 ºC

Example: 2) Mathematically evaluate and find the predecessor values for the following integers:

A) -4

B) 16

Ans. A) By reducing one integer value across the number line, we find that the predecessor of -4 is -4 -1 = -5

B) Similarly, the predecessor value of 16 is found as 16 -1 = 15

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