How can -2 be larger than -8?

Answer 1

6

Answer 2

Think of a number line. Movement to the right increases in value, movement to the left decreases.

-2 is to the right of -8.

Example in its simplistic form

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 -9

Note that -2 is closer to zero than -8? Therefore -2 is the greater number - when a figure is classed as a minus number it is less than zero the bigger the minus number is the more minus its is or the further from zero it is.