Question

The temperature in St. Louis is 31 degrees. The temperature in Duluth is -29 degrees. Is the temperature in St. Louis or Duluth closer to zero degrees?

Answer 1

Duluth

Explanation:

The temperature in Duluth is closer to 0 degrees.

Try to think of these two numbers on a number line.

-29 degrees is 29 points away from 0 → -29 + 29 = 0

However, 31 degrees is 31 points away from 0. If you subtract Duluth's temperature from St. Louis's temperature, you get 2.

31 + (-29) = 2

Since Duluth's temperature would be exactly zero degrees and St. Louis's temperature would be two degrees from zero, Duluth is closer to zero degrees.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

The temperature in Duluth is closer to zero

Explanation:

-29,-28,-27,-26,-25,-24,-23,-22,-21,-20,-19,-18,-17,-16,-15,-14,-13,-12,-11,-10,-9,-8,-7,-6,-5,-4,-3,-2,-1,0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31

-29<31