Learning Targets
Sometimes we use positive and negative numbers to represent quantities in context. Here are some contexts we have studied that can be represented with positive and negative numbers:
In these situations, using positive and negative numbers, and operations on positive and negative numbers, helps us understand and analyze them. To solve problems in these situations, we just have to understand what it means when the quantity is positive, when it is negative, and what it means to add and subtract them.
When two points in the coordinate plane lie on a horizontal line, you can find the distance between them by subtracting their x-coordinates.
When two points in the coordinate plane lie on a vertical line, you can find the distance between them by subtracting their y-coordinates.
Remember: the distance between two numbers is independent of the order, but the difference depends on the order.
A store tracks the number of cell phones it has in stock and how many phones it sells. The table shows the inventory for one phone model at the beginning of each day last week. The inventory changes when they sell phones or get shipments of phones into the store.
We often use positive and negative numbers to represent changes in a quantity.
Typically…
Han's family got a solar panel. Each month they get a credit to their account for the electricity that is generated by the solar panel. The credit they receive varies based on how sunny it is!
In January they used $83.56 worth of electricity and generated $6.75 worth of electricity. Here is their electricity bill from January.
Current charges: $83.56
Solar Credit: -$6.75
Amount due: $76.81