High School

What is the distance between -131 and -87 on a number line?

A. [tex]$-218$[/tex]
B. [tex]$-44$[/tex]
C. 44
D. 218

Answer :

Sure! Let's find the distance between [tex]\(-131\)[/tex] and [tex]\(-87\)[/tex] on a number line step-by-step.

1. Identify the two points on the number line:
- The first point is [tex]\(-131\)[/tex].
- The second point is [tex]\(-87\)[/tex].

2. Understand what distance means:
The distance between two points on a number line is the absolute value of the difference between those two points.

3. Calculate the difference between the two points:
[tex]\[
-87 - (-131)
\][/tex]
When subtracting a negative number, it's equivalent to adding its positive counterpart:
[tex]\[
-87 + 131
\][/tex]

4. Perform the addition:
[tex]\[
-87 + 131 = 44
\][/tex]

5. Apply the absolute value to the result (if necessary):
Since the result (44) is already positive, the distance is [tex]\( |
44
|
= 44\)[/tex].

So, the distance between [tex]\(-131\)[/tex] and [tex]\(-87\)[/tex] on the number line is [tex]\(\boxed{44}\)[/tex].