Question

Which represents each situation better, a positive or a negative number?

Answer 1

It depends on the situation.

Positive numbers generally represent something beneficial or desirable, such as:

- Gains
- Profits
- Temperature increases
- Increases in speed or distance

Negative numbers generally represent something undesirable or negative, such as:

- Losses
- Debts
- Temperature decreases
- Decreases in speed or distance

However, in some situations, the use of positive or negative numbers is arbitrary and depends on the context. For example, in a coordinate system, a negative number can represent a location to the left of the origin while a positive number can represent a location to the right of the origin. The choice of which number to use does not necessarily indicate a positive or negative outcome.