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number lines

SAMPLE FROM THE NEGATIVE/NUMBER LINE UNIT
Warning: Due to it's highly graphic nature, this page has been rated "R"

NUMBERS ON THE NUMBER LINE

All of the numbers you have seen can be graphically displayed on a line. This line is known as a number line. In the illustration below you'll see a number line from 0 to 5. But don't be fooled, the line doesn't stop at the number 5. If you extended the line to the right you would see 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. In fact this line will go on infinitely as indicated by the arrow. The symbol for infinity is ¥ 

  |___|___|___|___|___|
       0   1   2   3   4   5 ® ¥

Now if we magnified the section between 2 and 3 we might see the following:


And if we maginified the section between 3 and 4 we might see the following:


As you can see all of our decimal and fraction friends are in attendance.
Notice that the fraction equivalent appears under each decimal from 2.1 through 2.9.
And the decimal equivalent appears under each fraction from 3 1/6 through 3 5/6.

In additional to these rational numbers, you will see some irrational numbers above the line.
Ö5 is approximately 2.236, and it appears on the line slightly after 2.2 ;
Ö7 is approximately 2.645, and it appears on the line between 2.6 and 2.7 ;
p is approximately 3.14, and it appears on the line slightly before 3 1/6. (3.1666...);
Ö11 is approximately 3.316, and it appears on the line slightly before 3 1/3 (3.333...) ;
Ö14 is approximately 3.741, and it appears on the line between 3 2/3 (3.666...) and 3 5/6 (3.8333...) ;

Assignment
On a piece of paper draw a line showing the space between zero and 2.
Now place the following numbers on your line.


After you are finished, click here to see the answer. Note: you will be opening a pop-up window.