Q. Example of negative number?

If you take an elevator 8 stories down, what would be the opposite of this?

The opposite would be that you take the elevator 8 stories up.

Every positive number has a negative number counterpart, which is often referred to as its opposite. In mathematics, negative numbers are written with a special symbol called the negative sign (-). Positive numbers are sometimes written with the positive (+) symbol, but quite often this is not used if the number is positive. (A number without any symbol is assumed to be positive.)

Let's go back to our two examples, and see how this symbol can be used to write some negative numbers.

In our first example, having $5 in your pocket would be written as:

+5 or 5 (positive five)

Owing $5 to someone would be written as:

-5 (negative five)

In our second example, taking an elevator down 8 stories would be written as:

-8 (negative eight)

Taking the elevator up would be written as:

+8 or 8 (positive eight)

Note: The opposite of zero is zero. In other words, negative zero is still zero, or -0 = 0.