Integer calculator with steps
Add, subtract, multiply or divide integers and see the sign rule, a number line jump and integer chips for every answer.
🧒 Kids: pick an operation, type two numbers and watch the jump on the number line. Use ± to make a number negative!
Integer calculator
What the calculator shows
For adding and subtracting, the calculator draws a number line with the jump from the first number to the answer. For small numbers it also shows integer chips, with the zero pairs faded out.
For multiplying and dividing, it shows the two steps children learn: work out the size, then decide the sign. Use it to check homework, not to replace it.
Ready-made examples to try
Each link opens the calculator with the problem filled in.
- −9 + 4: Different signs
- −6 + (−5): Same signs
- 6 − (−3): Subtracting a negative
- −4 − 7: Moving left past −10
- (−7) × 6: Different signs
- (−8) × (−3): Same signs
- −48 ÷ (−6): Same signs
- 45 ÷ (−9): Different signs
How to add integers
If the signs are the same, add the sizes and keep the sign: −6 + (−5) = −11. If the signs are different, subtract the smaller size from the bigger one. The answer takes the sign of the number with the bigger size: −9 + 4 = −5.
On a number line, adding a positive number moves right and adding a negative number moves left. Children who can picture the jump rarely forget the rule.
How to subtract integers
Subtracting is the same as adding the opposite. Keep the first number, change the minus to a plus, and change the sign of the second number. So 6 − (−3) = 6 + 3 = 9, and −4 − 7 = −4 + (−7) = −11.
With chips, taking away −3 means removing three red chips. If there are none, add zero pairs first, then take the red chips away.
How to multiply and divide integers
Work out the size as if both numbers were positive, then find the sign. The same signs give a positive answer and different signs give a negative answer. So (−8) × (−3) = 24 and 45 ÷ (−9) = −5.
A quick check for division: multiply the answer by the second number. You should get the first number back.
Common integer mistakes the steps catch
- Adding the sizes when the signs differ: giving −13 for −9 + 4.
- Changing only one sign when subtracting: 6 − (−3) is 6 + 3, not 6 − 3.
- Using the addition rule to multiply: (−8) × (−3) is +24, not −24.
- Dropping the minus sign at the end of a long calculation.
Integer skills by grade
| Grade | What children calculate | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | The number line, opposites, absolute value, comparing and the coordinate plane | 6.NS.C.5–8 |
| Grade 7 | Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers and other rational numbers | 7.NS.A.1–3 |
In India, integers start in class 6 (“The Other Side of Zero”) and the four operations follow in class 7.
For teachers
Project the calculator and ask the class to predict the sign before you press anything. To share a problem, add ?op=sub&a=6&b=-3 to the address. The op can be add, sub, mul or div. Nothing is stored and no login is needed.
More integer help
- Integer practice: 10 questions on any of 15 skills, marked as you go.
- Integer calculator: add, subtract, multiply or divide with the sign rule, a number line and integer chips.
- Integer number line: plot and order numbers, opposites, absolute value and distance.
- Lessons: multiplying integers · integers for kids
- Worksheets: adding and subtracting integers · comparing integers · coordinate plane · make an integer test
Back to integers for kids · ratios · equations · 6th grade math · 7th grade math
Last reviewed
Questions parents ask
How do I use the integer calculator?
Choose add, subtract, multiply or divide, then type two integers. Use the ± buttons to make a number negative. The answer appears with the sign rule and a picture.
How do you add integers with different signs?
Subtract the smaller size from the bigger size and keep the sign of the number with the bigger size. For −9 + 4, 9 − 4 = 5, and 9 is bigger, so the answer is −5.
How do you subtract integers?
Add the opposite. Change the subtraction to addition and change the sign of the second number: 6 − (−3) = 6 + 3 = 9.
What are the rules for multiplying and dividing integers?
Multiply or divide the sizes. If the signs are the same, the answer is positive. If the signs are different, the answer is negative.
What are integer chips?
Two-colour counters: a yellow chip is +1 and a red chip is −1. A yellow and a red chip together make 0, called a zero pair.
Is it OK for my child to use an integer calculator?
Yes, for checking. Ask your child to work the problem on paper first, then compare each step with the calculator’s.