2. Compare the weather on two different days using an inequality. Then see if their comparisons change by finding the absolute v
alue of each. Day 1: -3.5 F
Day 2: 5 F
Comparison of Day 1 and Day 2: __-3.5__ < __5___ or ___5__ > ___-3.5____
Comparison of days with absolute value: ____ < _____ or _____ > _______
Any negative number is <u>always</u> smaller than any positive number. So that's why -3.5 is smaller than 5 and where -3.5 < 5 comes from. It might help to set up a vertical number line. Stuff on top is larger than stuff down below.
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The vertical bars represent absolute value. The result of |-3.5| is 3.5 because this is the distance from -3.5 to 0 on the number line. Likewise, |5| = 5.
So that's how we get to |-3.5| < |5| which is effectively saying -3.5 is closer to zero than 5 is to zero.
