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Count through zero on a number line, the way temperatures do on a cold night.
Question 1 of 12
Work out -12 + 15.
Adding moves right along the number line. From -12, going up 12 reaches zero, and there are 3 left to travel, so the answer is 3. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Split the jump at zero. Getting to zero, then going on, keeps the sign right every time.
The answer is A. Adding moves right along the number line. From -12, going up 12 reaches zero, and there are 3 left to travel, so the answer is 3. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Split the jump at zero. Getting to zero, then going on, keeps the sign right every time.
One night in Braemar the temperature was -5°C. By the afternoon it had risen to 12°C. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -5°C up to 0°C is 5 degrees, and from 0°C up to 12°C is 12 degrees. 5 + 12 = 17, so the temperature rose by 17°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -5 to 12 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
The answer is D. Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -5°C up to 0°C is 5 degrees, and from 0°C up to 12°C is 12 degrees. 5 + 12 = 17, so the temperature rose by 17°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -5 to 12 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
Work out -10 − 6.
Subtracting moves left along the number line, and starting at -10 that means going further below zero. -10 − 6 = -16. Two negatives here are not cancelling anything: -10 is a starting point and 6 is a distance travelled leftwards.
The answer is C. Subtracting moves left along the number line, and starting at -10 that means going further below zero. -10 − 6 = -16. Two negatives here are not cancelling anything: -10 is a starting point and 6 is a distance travelled leftwards.
One night in Shap the temperature was -4°C. By the afternoon it had risen to 2°C. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -4°C up to 0°C is 4 degrees, and from 0°C up to 2°C is 2 degrees. 4 + 2 = 6, so the temperature rose by 6°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -4 to 2 and subtract. A rise is always a positive answer, however negative the numbers were.
The answer is D. Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -4°C up to 0°C is 4 degrees, and from 0°C up to 2°C is 2 degrees. 4 + 2 = 6, so the temperature rose by 6°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -4 to 2 and subtract. A rise is always a positive answer, however negative the numbers were.
Work out -14 + 9.
Adding moves right along the number line. From -14, going up 14 reaches zero, and there are -5 left to travel, so the answer is -5. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left. That never changes, however negative the numbers get.
The answer is D. Adding moves right along the number line. From -14, going up 14 reaches zero, and there are -5 left to travel, so the answer is -5. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left. That never changes, however negative the numbers get.
One night in Buxton the temperature was -7°C. By the afternoon it had risen to 1°C. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -7°C up to 0°C is 7 degrees, and from 0°C up to 1°C is 1 degrees. 7 + 1 = 8, so the temperature rose by 8°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -7 to 1 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
The answer is D. Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -7°C up to 0°C is 7 degrees, and from 0°C up to 1°C is 1 degrees. 7 + 1 = 8, so the temperature rose by 8°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -7 to 1 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
Work out -3 + 6.
Adding moves right along the number line. From -3, going up 3 reaches zero, and there are 3 left to travel, so the answer is 3. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left. That never changes, however negative the numbers get.
The answer is D. Adding moves right along the number line. From -3, going up 3 reaches zero, and there are 3 left to travel, so the answer is 3. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left. That never changes, however negative the numbers get.
Work out -14 − 18.
Subtracting moves left along the number line, and starting at -14 that means going further below zero. -14 − 18 = -32. Two negatives here are not cancelling anything: -14 is a starting point and 18 is a distance travelled leftwards.
The answer is C. Subtracting moves left along the number line, and starting at -14 that means going further below zero. -14 − 18 = -32. Two negatives here are not cancelling anything: -14 is a starting point and 18 is a distance travelled leftwards.
Work out -10 + 22.
Adding moves right along the number line. From -10, going up 10 reaches zero, and there are 12 left to travel, so the answer is 12. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left. That never changes, however negative the numbers get.
The answer is A. Adding moves right along the number line. From -10, going up 10 reaches zero, and there are 12 left to travel, so the answer is 12. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Adding moves right, subtracting moves left. That never changes, however negative the numbers get.
One night in Braemar the temperature was -3°C. By the afternoon it had risen to 5°C. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -3°C up to 0°C is 3 degrees, and from 0°C up to 5°C is 5 degrees. 3 + 5 = 8, so the temperature rose by 8°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -3 to 5 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
The answer is A. Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -3°C up to 0°C is 3 degrees, and from 0°C up to 5°C is 5 degrees. 3 + 5 = 8, so the temperature rose by 8°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -3 to 5 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
Work out -13 + 19.
Adding moves right along the number line. From -13, going up 13 reaches zero, and there are 6 left to travel, so the answer is 6. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Draw the number line. It is worth the ten seconds on any question with a minus sign in it.
The answer is B. Adding moves right along the number line. From -13, going up 13 reaches zero, and there are 6 left to travel, so the answer is 6. Splitting the jump at zero is what stops the sign going wrong. Draw the number line. It is worth the ten seconds on any question with a minus sign in it.
One night in Shap the temperature was -8°C. By the afternoon it had risen to 5°C. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -8°C up to 0°C is 8 degrees, and from 0°C up to 5°C is 5 degrees. 8 + 5 = 13, so the temperature rose by 13°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -8 to 5 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
The answer is D. Counting up the number line is safer here than any rule. From -8°C up to 0°C is 8 degrees, and from 0°C up to 5°C is 5 degrees. 8 + 5 = 13, so the temperature rose by 13°C. Zero is the place to stop and take stock — the mistake almost everyone makes is to jump straight from -8 to 5 and subtract. Draw the number line. Even a rough one, sketched in the margin, is worth the ten seconds.
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