Question

Mohini and Paul were placing numbers on a number line. Mohini said, “My number is greater than yours.” Paul agreed but added, “My number has a greater absolute value than yours.” What could Paul and Mohini’s numbers be? Explain answer using a number line.

Answer 1

Answer: To satisfy Mohini's statement of her number being greater than Paul's, we can place Mohini's number to the right of Paul's number on the number line.

Now, to satisfy Paul's statement of his number having a greater absolute value than Mohini's, we need to place Paul's number farther away from zero than Mohini's number on the number line.

Here are a few possible scenarios that meet both conditions:

Scenario 1:

Let's say Mohini's number is 5. Since her number is greater than Paul's, we can place Paul's number, let's say -3, to the left of 5 on the number line. Both conditions are satisfied in this scenario, as 5 is greater than -3, and the absolute value of -3 (-3) is greater than the absolute value of 5 (5).

-3-----------5

Scenario 2:

Another possible scenario is Mohini's number being -7, and Paul's number being -10. In this case, -7 is greater than -10, and the absolute value of -10 (10) is greater than the absolute value of -7 (7).

-10-----------(-7)

In both scenarios, Mohini's number is greater than Paul's, while Paul's number has a greater absolute value than Mohini's. These scenarios demonstrate the possible numbers that satisfy both conditions on a number line.