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Question
A number line is shown below. The numbers 0 and 1 are marked on the line, as are two other numbers a and b.
Which of the following number(s) is/are negative?
A number line is shown below. The numbers 0 and 1 are marked on the line, as are two other numbers a and b.
Which of the following number(s) is/are negative?
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Solution
The correct options are
B a - 2
D a+b
a is greater than 1, so a−1 is positive.
The distance between a and 1 appears to be less than the distance between 1 and 0, so it looks like a is less than 2. Thus a − 2 is negative.
b is negative, so −b is positive.
The distance between a and 0 appears to be less than the distance between b and 0, so it looks like |a| is less than |b|. Since b is negative and a is positive, a + b is negative.
B a - 2
D a+b
a is greater than 1, so a−1 is positive.
The distance between a and 1 appears to be less than the distance between 1 and 0, so it looks like a is less than 2. Thus a − 2 is negative.
b is negative, so −b is positive.
The distance between a and 0 appears to be less than the distance between b and 0, so it looks like |a| is less than |b|. Since b is negative and a is positive, a + b is negative.