+893 You need to define exactly what you mean by 'larger'.
You might take it to mean magnitude, (in which case -0.5 is as large as 0.5) or you might take CPhill's dollars argument or Melody's line that all negative numbers are smaller than all positive numbers.
As an alternative, in electrostatics there are things called point charges, and they can be positive or negative. So, if I have a positive point charge of +9 and a negative point charge of -40, which is the larger ? I would say that it was the -40, (but it comes down to a matter of definition).
+128473 Would you rather have -$40 or $40 in your checking account ?? Can a negative be greater than a positive??
+118608
It is a good idea to think about a number line when you deal with negative and positive numbers.
What is the biggest number 14 is, it is furthest over towards the right.
(14 is really +14 the positive sign is just invisable but it really is there!)
Any number to the left of 14 is smaller than 14
So, ALL the negative numbers are smaller than aLL the positive numbers!
+893 You need to define exactly what you mean by 'larger'.
You might take it to mean magnitude, (in which case -0.5 is as large as 0.5) or you might take CPhill's dollars argument or Melody's line that all negative numbers are smaller than all positive numbers.
As an alternative, in electrostatics there are things called point charges, and they can be positive or negative. So, if I have a positive point charge of +9 and a negative point charge of -40, which is the larger ? I would say that it was the -40, (but it comes down to a matter of definition).
