Negative numbers
Edexcel GCSE Maths revision on Negative numbers. Aligned to the Pearson Edexcel GCSE Mathematics 1MA1 specification. This bank has 16 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 16)
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Question 1
What is the result of adding minus seven to three?
- A) Minus four as the sum is negative
- B) Minus ten as you add the values
- C) Fourteen as you ignore the sign
- D) Ten units as you add the digits
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Answer: Minus four as the sum is negative
The correct answer is minus four. When you add a negative number, you move to the left on the number line; starting at three and moving back seven steps lands you at negative four. A common error is to treat the operation as a simple addition of the digits to get ten.
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Question 2
What is the value of negative five multiplied by negative six?
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Answer: 30
The correct answer is 30. When multiplying two negative numbers, the result is always positive because the two negative signs cancel each other out.
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Question 3
Which of these values is the smallest?
- A) Negative nine point four
- B) Negative nine point one
- C) Negative eight point five
- D) Negative eight point nine
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Answer: Negative nine point four
The correct answer is negative nine point four. On a number line, values further to the left are always smaller, so a larger magnitude with a negative sign represents a smaller value. Students often mistakenly choose negative eight point five because it has the smallest magnitude.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
13 more questions on Negative numbers — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Maths spec.