Why is -4 greater than -5?

Answer 1

1

Answer 2

This is easiest to explain using the number line written horizontally with negative numbers to the left, zero in the middle and positive numbers to the right. The further to the right a number is on the line, the greater it is.

With two numbers on the line, the number which is further right is the greater number.

For positive numbers, it is clear than 10 is greater than 5, and 10 is to the right of 5.

The same holds true for negative numbers:

-4 is to the right of -5, thus -4 is greater than -5.

Similarly for a mixture of positive and negative numbers:

1 is to the right of -5 so 1 is greater than -5.