1. Give an example from a real-world setting where a negative number is used. Explain the meaning of the number.

2. Give an example from a real-world setting where a number with decimals is used. Explain the meaning of the number.

1 answer

1. In finance, a negative number is often used to represent a debt or a loss. For instance, if a company has a balance sheet with liabilities exceeding their assets, it may show a negative net worth. This negative number indicates that the company owes more than it owns and implies financial instability.

2. In the field of physics, a number with decimals is frequently used to represent measurements. For example, consider the measurement of the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. The decimal portion of this number is essential as it represents the exact fraction of a meter that light travels in one second. By including decimals, precise measurements can be made and accurate calculations can be performed.