Explain why -11 is less than -7, but | -11 | is greater than | -7 |.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The number -11 is less than -7 because when comparing negative numbers, the one with the greater absolute value (or “distance from zero”) is always the smaller number. This is because the negative numbers are situated to the left of zero on the number line. The further to the left a number is, the smaller it is in value. Since -11 is further left than -7, it is considered smaller.
However, when we talk about absolute value, we are referring to the distance a number is from zero, ignoring whether it is positive or negative. The absolute value of a number is always positive or zero. The absolute value of -11 is written as | -11 |, and it equals 11 because -11 is 11 units away from zero. Similarly, the absolute value of -7 is written as | -7 |, and it equals 7 because -7 is 7 units away from zero.
Since 11 is greater than 7, the absolute value of -11 is greater than the absolute value of -7. In summary, while -11 is less than -7 because it is further left on the number line, its absolute value is greater than that of -7 because 11 is a larger number than 7. This distinction between comparing the numbers themselves and comparing their absolute values is key to understanding how these relationships work.