Comparing Integers
Free printable comparing integers worksheets. Write <, > or = between two positive or negative numbers. With an answer key.
Each problem is two integers with a gap between them: -7 ___ -3. The student writes <, > or = in the gap. On a number line the greater number is the one further right, and -3 is to the right of -7, so -7 < -3.
About half the pairs have one negative and one positive number. The rest are two negatives or two positives, and the two negatives are the ones that matter: -9 is less than -2 even though 9 is more than 2. Zero never appears, and every number is between -20 and 20.
What this worksheet covers
- Compare two positive or negative integers using <, > or =
- Use position on a number line to decide which integer is greater
Common Core standards
- 6.NS.C.7 Understand ordering and absolute value of rational numbers.
Frequently asked questions
How do you compare two negative numbers?
The one closer to zero is greater. -2 is greater than -9, because -2 is further right on a number line. It runs the opposite way to their distances from zero: 9 is further out than 2, so -9 is the smaller number.
Is a negative number always less than a positive one?
Yes. Every negative number is to the left of zero and every positive number to the right, so -1 < 1 and -20 < 3. Those pairs are the quick ones on the sheet.
Why is = sometimes the answer?
The two numbers are drawn separately, so now and then they come out the same - about one problem in forty. It stops a student assuming every pair must be different.
What grade is this?
Sixth grade, when negative numbers are first placed on a number line and put in order. It comes just before absolute value, which asks how far a number is from zero rather than which of two is greater.