NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Maths Chapter 10 The Other Side of Zero
Updated on 2026-09-08
About this chapter
There are numbers less than zero. They are written with a ‘–’ sign in front, are called negative numbers , and lie to the left of 0 on the number line. In Bela's Building of Fun they are the floors below the ground. The numbers … –3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3 … are the integers . Positive integers are 1, 2, 3, …; negative integers are –1, –2, –3, …; and 0 is neither positive nor negative — it is the reference point. Every number has an additive inverse — the number that gives 0 when added to it. The inverse of +4 is –4, the inverse of –543 is 543, and the inverse of 0 is 0. Addition means Starting Position + Movement = Target Position . Subtraction means Target Position – Starting Position = Movement needed . Both come straight from the lift. Subtracting a number is the same as adding its inverse
- Bela’s Building of Fun
- Numbering the floors in the Building of Fun
- Addition to keep track of movement
- Combining button presses is also addition
- Back to zero! · Comparing numbers using floors
- Comparing numbers using floors
- Subtraction to find which button to press
- Adding and subtracting larger numbers (the mine)
- Adding, subtracting, and comparing any numbers
- Back to the number line
Exercises
- In-text Questions — Bela’s Building of Fun Page 243
- Numbering the floors in the Building of Fun — In-text Questions Page 244
- Addition to keep track of movement — In-text Question Page 245
- Addition to keep track of movement — Figure it Out Page 245
- Combining button presses is also addition — Figure it Out Page 246
- Back to zero! · Comparing numbers using floors — In-text Questions Page 246 & 247
- Comparing numbers using floors — Figure it Out Page 247
- Subtraction to find which button to press — In-text Question Page 248
- Subtraction to find which button to press — Figure it Out Page 249
- Adding and subtracting larger numbers (the mine) — Figure it Out Page 251
- Adding, subtracting, and comparing any numbers — In-text Question Page 251
- Back to the number line — In-text Questions Page 252 & 253
- Back to the number line — Figure it Out Page 253 & 254
- Using the unmarked number line to add and subtract — In-text Question Page 255
- Figure it Out — The Token Model Page 257
- Using tokens for subtraction — In-text Question Page 257
- Using tokens for subtraction — Figure it Out Page 258
- Using tokens for subtraction — Figure it Out Page 259
- In-text Questions — Integers in Other Places Page 259 & 260
- Credits and debits — Figure it Out Page 260
- Geographical cross sections — Figure it Out Page 261
- Temperature — In-text Questions Page 262
- Temperature — Figure it Out Page 262
- Figure it Out — Explorations with Integers Page 263 & 264
- An amazing grid of numbers! — Figure it Out Page 265
- Practice with integers — Figure it Out Page 265 & 266
- Figure it Out — A Pinch of History Page 268