Question

How do you order the numbers 5.108, 5.13, 5.3, 5.103 from least to greatest?

Answer 1

`5.103 < 5.108 < 5.13 < 5.3`

Explanation:

All the numbers have a whole number `5`, so just compare the decimals.

Write the numbers with the same number of decimal places. This makes them easier to compare and avoids the common error of thinking you are comparing `" "108" "13" "3" "103`

It helps to write them under each other:

`5.108`
`5.130`
`5color(blue)(.3)00" "larr` obviously the biggest
`5.103`

Now it is more obvious that you are comparing
`108" "130" "300" "103`

Arrange these numbers in increasing order:

`103 < 108 < 130 < 300`

These were just the decimals, but now you can write the original numbers:

`5.103 < 5.108 < 5.13 < 5.3`