Question

How do you order the following numbers from least to greatest: `1/8,-3/4,-0.5,-2`?

Answer 1

The order is `-2`, `-3/4`, `-0.5` and `1/8` from least to greatest.

Explanation:

The best way to order numbers from least to greatest is to first convert them to decimal system and that is what we should do first.

`1/8=(1xx125)/(8xx125)=125/1000=0.125`

`-3/4=-(3xx25)/(4xx125)=-75/100=-0.75`

`-0.5` is already in decimal form and `-2=-2.000`.

Now as a negative number with highest absolute value (i.e. ignoring negative sign) is least, we should start from `-2.000`. Then will come `-0.75` as its absolute value is more than that of `-0.5`. The latter as it is negative is less than ant positive and hence will come on third position and `0.125` as the only positive number is greatest.

Hence the order is `-2`, `-3/4`, `-0.5` and `1/8` from least to greatest.