A number line is good place to start when describing integers. As integers are all the counting numbers so starting from 0, the numbers to the right side of zero are called positive integers, and from 0 to the left side, all the numbers are called the negative integers.
Comparing Integers - We can Compare Integers with their Opposites which means the numbers on the opposite sides with equal distance from zero on the number line. For example, on a number line, 4 and -4 are the opposites. The number zero is the opposite of itself, and it is considered neither positive nor negative. Let us graph the integers and their opposites. Let’s graph 4 and its opposite on the number line. Firstly graph 4 by placing a dot at positive 4 on the number line. We know the opposite of positive 4 is negative 4. So place a dot at a negative 4 on the number line to complete the problem. Next example lets graph -2 and its opposite on the number line. First, graph negative 1 by placing a dot on the negative on the number line. Next step we know the opposite of negative 1 is positive is 1. So we place a dot on number line to complete our graph.
Ordering Integers – Ordering integers means Ordering Integers from least to Greatest and for this we write integers in the ascending order. The numbers on left of number line is smaller than the number on the right. Comparing and Ordering Integers can be done by plotting them on the number line. For example: - If we have numbers -3, 0, 5,-5,-1 and 4 and we need Compare and Order Integers, we first plot them on the number line and see the integers to the left on the number line are smaller to those on the right. So reading the dots on the number line from left to right gives us the order from least to the greatest. Here we have to do is read the dots from left to right and we have our order. The smallest number is here on the extreme left will be -5 and then it’s -3, then -1, then 0, then 4 and then 5 which is on extreme right. So we can write the order as -5 < -3 < -1 < 0 < 4 < 5.
