Editing Negative number (section)

==Everyday uses of negative numbers==

===Sport===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Spanish Grand Prix, 2014.jpg|thumb|right|Negative sector and lap times during the [[2014 Spanish Grand Prix]]]] -->
{{CSS image crop|Image=2010 Women's British Open – leaderboard (1).jpg |bSize=350 |cWidth=230 |cHeight=370 |oTop=0 |oLeft=60 |Location=right |Description=Negative golf scores relative to par.}}

* [[Goal difference]] in [[association football]] and [[hockey]]; points difference in [[rugby football]]; [[net run rate]] in [[cricket]]; [[golf]] scores relative to [[Golf#Scoring and handicapping|par]].
* [[Plus–minus (sports)|Plus-minus]] differential in [[ice hockey]]: the difference in total goals scored for the team (+) and against the team (−) when a particular player is on the ice is the player's +/− rating. Players can have a negative (+/−) rating.
* [[Run differential]] in [[baseball]]: the run differential is negative if the team allows more runs than they scored.
* Clubs may be deducted points for breaches of the laws, and thus have a negative points total until they have earned at least that many points that season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50457698 |title=Saracens salary cap breach: Premiership champions will not contest sanctions |work=BBC Sport |access-date=18 November 2019 |quote=Mark McCall's side have subsequently dropped from third to bottom of the Premiership with −22 points}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50356053 |title=Bolton Wanderers 1−0 Milton Keynes Dons |work=BBC Sport |access-date=30 November 2019 |quote=But in the third minute of stoppage time, the striker turned in Luke Murphy's cross from eight yards to earn a third straight League One win for Hill's side, who started the campaign on −12 points after going into administration in May.}}</ref>
* Lap (or sector) times in [[Formula 1]] may be given as the difference compared to a previous lap (or sector) (such as the previous record, or the lap just completed by a driver in front), and will be positive if slower and negative if faster.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.formula1.com/en/championship/inside-f1/glossary.html |title=Glossary |publisher=Formula1.com |access-date=30 November 2019 |quote=Delta time: A term used to describe the time difference between two different laps or two different cars. For example, there is usually a negative delta between a driver's best practice lap time and his best qualifying lap time because he uses a low fuel load and new tyres.}}</ref>
* In some [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]] events, such as [[sprint (running)|sprint race]]s, the [[110 metres hurdles|hurdles]], the [[triple jump]] and the [[long jump]], the [[wind assistance]] is measured and recorded,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://london2012.bbc.co.uk/athletics/event/men-long-jump/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805042254/http://london2012.bbc.co.uk/athletics/event/men-long-jump/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 August 2012|title=BBC Sport - Olympic Games - London 2012 - Men's Long Jump : Athletics - Results|date=5 August 2012|access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref> and is positive for a [[tailwind]] and negative for a headwind.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://elitefeet.com/how-wind-assistance-works-in-track-field|title=How Wind Assistance Works in Track & Field|website=elitefeet.com|date=3 July 2008|access-date=18 November 2019|quote=Wind assistance is normally expressed in meters per second, either positive or negative. A positive measurement means that the wind is helping the runners and a negative measurement means that the runners had to work against the wind. So, for example, winds of −2.2m/s and +1.9m/s are legal, while a wind of +2.1m/s is too much assistance and considered illegal. The terms "tailwind" and "headwind" are also frequently used. A tailwind pushes the runners forward (+) while a headwind pushes the runners backwards (−)}}</ref>

===Science===
* [[Temperature]]s which are colder than 0&nbsp;°C or 0&nbsp;°F.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VxPI4SdOaBcC&q=colder+than+0+%C2%B0C+or+0+%C2%B0F&pg=PA194|title=Contributions to the Geology of the Bering Sea Basin and Adjacent Regions: Selected Papers from the Symposium on the Geology and Geophysics of the Bering Sea Region, on the Occasion of the Inauguration of the C. T. Elvey Building, University of Alaska, June 26-28, 1970, and from the 2d International Symposium on Arctic Geology Held in San Francisco, February 1-4, 1971|first=Robert B.|last=Forbes|date=6 January 1975|publisher=Geological Society of America|page=194|isbn=9780813721514}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IJuCVtQ0ySIC&q=colder+than+0+%C2%B0C+or+0+%C2%B0F&pg=PA17|title=Statistical Methods in the Atmospheric Sciences|first=Daniel S.|last=Wilks|date=6 January 2018|publisher=Academic Press|page=17|isbn=9780123850225}}</ref> 
* [[Latitude]]s south of the equator and [[longitude]]s west of the [[prime meridian]].
* [[Topography|Topographical]] features of the earth's surface are given a [[height]] above [[sea level]], which can be negative (e.g. the surface elevation of the [[Dead Sea]] or [[Death Valley]], or the elevation of the [[Thames Tideway Tunnel]]).
* [[Electrical circuits]]. When a battery is connected in reverse polarity, the voltage applied is said to be the opposite of its rated voltage. For example, a 6-volt battery connected in reverse applies a voltage of −6 volts.
* [[Ions]] have a positive or negative electrical charge.
* [[Wave impedance|Impedance]] of an AM broadcast tower used in multi-tower [[directional antenna]] arrays, which can be positive or negative.

===Finance===
* [[Financial statement]]s can include negative balances, indicated either by a minus sign or by enclosing the balance in parentheses.<ref name="CarysforthNeild2002">{{citation|last1=Carysforth|first1=Carol|last2=Neild|first2=Mike|title=Double Award|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vMTmjC7fgcYC&pg=PA375|year=2002|publisher=Heinemann|isbn=978-0-435-44746-5|page=375}}</ref> Examples include bank account [[overdraft]]s and business losses (negative [[earnings]]).
* The annual percentage growth in a country's [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] might be negative, which is one indicator of being in a [[recession]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-21193525|title=UK economy shrank at end of 2012|work=BBC News|date=25 January 2013|access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref>
* Occasionally, a rate of [[inflation]] may be negative ([[deflation]]), indicating a fall in average prices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/first-negative-inflation-figure-since-1960-1671736.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/first-negative-inflation-figure-since-1960-1671736.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=First negative inflation figure since 1960|date=21 April 2009|website=The Independent|access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref>
* The daily change in a [[Share (finance)|share]] price or [[stock market index]], such as the [[FTSE 100 Index|FTSE 100]] or the [[Dow Jones Industrial Average|Dow Jones]].
* A negative number in financing is synonymous with "debt" and "deficit" which are also known as "being in the red".
* [[Interest rates]] can be negative,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-27717594|title=ECB imposes negative interest rate|date=5 June 2014 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/think-negative-interest-rates-cant-happen-here-think-again-2015-01-21|title=Think negative interest rates can't happen here? Think again|first=Matthew|last=Lynn|website=MarketWatch|access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-30528404|title=Swiss interest rate to turn negative|date=18 December 2014 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=5 December 2018}}</ref> when the lender is charged to deposit their money.

===Other===
[[File:Elevator Negative Floor Numbers in Ireland (16785350923).jpg|thumb|right|Negative story numbers in an elevator.]]

* The numbering of [[storey|stories]] in a building below the ground floor.
* When playing an [[Audio signal|audio]] file on a [[portable media player]], such as an [[iPod]], the screen display may show the time remaining as a negative number, which increases up to zero time remaining at the same rate as the time already played increases from zero.
* Television [[game shows]]:
** Participants on ''[[QI]]'' often finish with a negative points score.
** Teams on ''[[University Challenge]]'' have a negative score if their first answers are incorrect and interrupt the question. 
** ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' has a negative money score – contestants play for an amount of money and any incorrect answer that costs them more than what they have now can result in a negative score.
** In ''[[The Price Is Right (U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'''s pricing game Buy or Sell, if an amount of money is lost that is more than the amount currently in the bank, it incurs a negative score.
* The change in support for a political party between elections, known as [[Swing (politics)|swing]].
* A politician's [[United States presidential approval rating|approval rating]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jun/17/ed-miliband-nick-clegg-fall-lowest-popularity-guardian-icm|title=Popularity of Miliband and Clegg falls to lowest levels recorded by ICM poll|first=Patrick|last=Wintour|newspaper=The Guardian |date=17 June 2014|access-date=5 December 2018|via=www.theguardian.com}}</ref>
* In [[video games]], a negative number indicates loss of life, damage, a score penalty, or consumption of a resource, depending on the genre of the simulation.
* Employees with [[flextime|flexible working hours]] may have a negative balance on their [[timesheet]] if they have worked fewer total hours than contracted to that point. Employees may be able to take more than their annual holiday allowance in a year, and carry forward a negative balance to the next year.
* [[Transposition (music)|Transposing]] notes on an [[electronic keyboard]] are shown on the display with positive numbers for increases and negative numbers for decreases, e.g. "−1" for one [[semitone]] down.