Math Problem Statement
Use the dropdown to complete the following inequality. A number line with three ticks. The tick in the center is labeled as 0. The tick to the left of 0 is labeled as negative 1. The tick to the right of 0 is labeled as 1. Unevenly spaced filled points a and b are labeled on the number line. Point a is located between 0 and 1 and closer to 1. Point b is located between negative 1 and 0 and closer to 0. [-1\phantom{-}] [0] [1] [b] [a] [a +b ]
[a-b]
Solution
To complete the inequality, let's first establish the locations of the points and their relationships:
- Point a is located between 0 and 1, closer to 1. This means is positive and less than 1.
- Point b is located between -1 and 0, closer to 0. This means is negative and greater than -1.
- We are asked to compare and .
Key considerations:
-
: Since is positive and is negative, will be the sum of a small positive number and a small negative number. Depending on the relative magnitudes of and , the sum could be positive or negative, but it will generally be closer to 0.
-
: Subtracting a negative number is the same as adding a positive number. So will be larger than , and closer to 1, since is negative.
Completing the inequality:
We can infer the following relationships:
- is a value between and , because the sum of a small positive number and a small negative number will not exceed 0.
- is larger, because subtracting a negative effectively adds the magnitude of , making the result greater than .
Therefore, the inequality that completes the sentence is:
Summary:
The correct inequality is:
Would you like further explanation or details on any part of this? Here are some related questions to explore:
- How does the addition of two numbers with opposite signs work mathematically?
- Can ever exceed in this case? Why or why not?
- How would the inequality change if and were both positive or both negative?
- What happens to the sum as gets closer to 1 or gets closer to -1?
- How can this concept of addition and subtraction of numbers with different signs be applied in solving equations?
Tip: When adding numbers with different signs, always subtract the smaller absolute value from the larger one and take the sign of the number with the larger absolute value.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Inequality
Number Line
Addition and Subtraction of Real Numbers
Signed Numbers
Formulas
a + b
a - b
Theorems
Properties of inequalities
Addition and subtraction of real numbers with different signs
Suitable Grade Level
Grades 6-8
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