Question

Graph the numbers on a number line. Then write two inequalities that compare the two numbers. $$-0.2 \text { and }-0.21$$

Short answer

-0.21 < -0.2 and -0.21 ≤ -0.2

Step-by-step solution

Plot the numbers on number line

To graph -0.2 and -0.21 on a number line, start by drawing a straight horizontal line. Mark '0' somewhere in the middle. Then, mark negative and positive numbers on both sides of '0' with equal spacing. The distance between every two consecutive numbers should be the same. Plot -0.2 somewhere to the left of '0' (because it's a negative number), and then plot -0.21 a little bit more to the left of -0.2.

Compare the numbers

Once the numbers are graphed, notice that -0.21 falls to the left of -0.2 on the number line. In number line, left means lesser and right means greater. Therefore, -0.21 is less than -0.2.

Write two inequalities

Based on the comparison we have made, now write two inequalities. The first inequality is without the equation sign, i.e. -0.21 < -0.2. The second inequality is with the equation sign, i.e. -0.21 ≤ -0.2. The first inequality signifies that -0.21 is strictly less than -0.2 while the second one means -0.21 is less than or equal to -0.2.