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The number line
A picture of every number, in order. Negatives on the left, positives on the right, zero in the middle.
The Number Line
Drag the dot or tap a number
0
Distance from 0
0
Sign
Zero
Doubled
0
What is the number line?
A number line is a straight line where every point stands for a number. Move right and the number gets bigger. Move left and it gets smaller. Zero sits in the middle.
Three things to notice
- Numbers to the right of any point are bigger.
- Numbers to the left are smaller.
- Equal jumps mean equal differences. From 3 to 5 is the same distance as from 9 to 11.
Distance from zero
The distance of a number from 0 is called its absolute value. Both +4 and −4 are 4 steps from zero, so they have the same absolute value.
Try this
Drag the dot above to −7, then to +7. Notice the distance from zero is the same — only the direction changed.
What lives between the whole numbers?
Lots of things. Halves, thirds, decimals like 2.5, irrational numbers like π. The number line is dense — between any two numbers you can always find another.
Quick check
- Which is bigger, −2 or −5?
- What number is exactly halfway between 3 and 8?
- If you start at 4 and jump 6 to the left, where do you land?
Answers: −2 (it's closer to zero), 5.5, and −2.