Number Sense Math Example 3

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 3

easy
Place the following numbers on a mental number line from smallest to largest: 0.50.5, 55, 5050, 0.050.05.

Solution

  1. 1
    Compare magnitudes: 0.05<0.5<5<500.05 < 0.5 < 5 < 50.
  2. 2
    Order from smallest to largest: 0.05,0.5,5,500.05, 0.5, 5, 50.

Answer

0.05<0.5<5<500.05 < 0.5 < 5 < 50
Strong number sense means quickly recognizing the relative size of numbers. Each number here is 10 times the previous, so they span three orders of magnitude. Anchoring to powers of 10 makes ordering fast.

About Number Sense

An intuitive understanding of numbers, their relative size, and how they relate to each other and to real quantities.

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More Number Sense Examples

Example 1 easy

Without calculating exactly, determine which is greater: [formula] or [formula].

Example 2 medium

A school has 483 students. Each classroom holds about 30 students. Approximately how many classrooms

Example 4 medium

Without a calculator, is [formula] closer to [formula] or to [formula]? Explain.

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