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In mathematics, the opposite or additive inverse of a number is a number which, when added to , results in 0. The opposite of is .[1][2] For example, −7 is the opposite of 7, because .
A number is called an opposite number of another number if . By definition, is the opposite number of . For example, is the opposite number of and vice-versa. This is because
Opposite numbers are also known as additive inverses.
Two opposite numbers have the same absolute value. This follows from the fact that the is the opposite number of and both have the same absolute value .
The opposite of a positive number is the negative version of the number. The opposite of a negative number is the positive version of the number.
opposite numbers are located in the opposite direction on a number line having the same distance from the origin. That is, they are symmetric about the origin on a number line.
The sum of two opposite numbers is always zero, because
The division of two non-zero opposite numbers is always , because