Uploaded November 2013 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
This Math Shorts episode explains the term additive inverse and provides several examples that demonstrate the concept. In the accompanying classroom activity, students create equations and solve problems that involve adding groups of negative and positive integers that sum to zero. To get the most out of this activity, students should be familiar with plotting positive and negative integers on a number line.
This video was made for the PBS Learning Media library, thanks to a generous grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was produced in collaboration with Utah Education Network.
Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.Math.Cont.7.NS.A.1c ( Grade 7 ): Understand subtraction of rational numbers as adding the additive inverse, p -- q = p + (--q). Show that the distance between two rational numbers on the number line is the absolute value of their difference, and apply this principle in real-world contexts.
This Math Shorts episode explains the term additive inverse and provides several examples that demonstrate the concept. In the accompanying classroom activity, students create equations and solve problems that involve adding groups of negative and positive integers that sum to zero. To get the most out of this activity, students should be familiar with plotting positive and negative integers on a number line.
This video was made for the PBS Learning Media library, thanks to a generous grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. It was produced in collaboration with Utah Education Network.
Common Core State Standards:
CCSS.Math.Cont.7.NS.A.1c ( Grade 7 ): Understand subtraction of rational numbers as adding the additive inverse, p -- q = p + (--q). Show that the distance between two rational numbers on the number line is the absolute value of their difference, and apply this principle in real-world contexts.
