Numbers extend in both directions — below zero is real too.
Negative numbers are numbers less than zero. On a number line, positive numbers are to the right and negative numbers are to the left. The absolute value of a number is its distance from zero, always non-negative. Extending both axes into negative territory creates a four-quadrant coordinate plane.
The Four Quadrants
Quadrants are numbered counterclockwise starting from upper right.
Temperature: −10°C is 10 degrees below zero. Elevation: −300 ft means 300 feet below sea level. Debt: −$50 means you owe $50. In each case, the absolute value tells you "how far" from the reference point.
Remember This!
To order negative numbers, think of the number line. Numbers further left are always less. −8 < −3 < 0 < 2 < 7. A larger absolute value in the negative direction means a smaller number.
The point (−3, 4) is located in which quadrant?