Integers Introduction — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
The number -7 is a positive integer.
Corrected: The number -7 is a negative integer.
Numbers with a minus sign in front are negative integers below zero.
2. Fix the sentence:
Zero is a positive integer on the number line.
Corrected: Zero is neither positive nor negative on the number line.
Zero is its own special integer that separates positives from negatives.
3. Fix the sentence:
On a thermometer, -3 degrees is warmer than 5 degrees.
Corrected: On a thermometer, -3 degrees is colder than 5 degrees.
Negative readings show colder air, while positive readings show warmer air.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The opposite of +6 on the number line is -6.
Opposite integers share the same value but have opposite signs across zero.
2. A temperature of eight degrees below zero is written as -8.
Below-zero temperatures must include a negative sign before the number.
3. On a number line, the integer just to the right of -1 is 0.
Moving right adds one, so -1 plus one equals zero on the line.
4. The integer that is neither positive nor negative is 0.
Zero is the unique integer with no sign and divides positives from negatives.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Name two real-life situations where negative integers are used.
Sample answer: Temperatures below zero like -10 degrees, and money owed such as a -25 dollar bank balance.
Negative integers describe values that fall below a chosen zero point in life.
2. Why is zero placed in the middle of an integer number line?
Sample answer: Zero is the boundary because positives grow to the right and negatives grow to the left, making zero the center.
Zero separates positive integers from negative integers, anchoring the number line.