Bigger or Smaller: Mermaid Lagoon

At Mermaid Lagoon, the top of the water is sea level, and it counts as zero. Seagulls flying above the water are at positive heights, and Octavia’s friends swimming below are at negative heights: a fish at −3 m is 3 metres under the water.

Remember: On a number line, the number farther to the right (or higher up) is always the bigger one. Every positive number is bigger than zero, and zero is bigger than every negative number. Between two negative numbers, the one closer to zero is bigger: −2 is bigger than −5.

Magic trick: Think of the lagoon: the fish that swims deeper has the smaller number. −8 m is deeper than −2 m, so −8 is smaller than −2.