A student was asked to arrange the following numbers in descending order,

−20, −150, 0, 23, 46

The student wrote the following answer,

−150, −20, 0, 23, 46

Which of the following is most appropriate for the response of the student ?

Correct Answer: The student has understood the concept of arranging integers but has done a mistake by arranging them in increasing order.

Step-by-Step Explanation:

Step 1: Understand the given set of numbers

The numbers given to the student are: -20, -150, 0, 23, and 46.

Step 2: Compare the values of these integers

Let's order these integers from smallest to largest (ascending/increasing order):

On a number line, numbers to the left are smaller than numbers to the right.

-150 is the smallest negative integer among them because it is furthest to the left on the number line.

-20 is larger than -150, but smaller than 0.

0 is larger than all negative numbers.

23 is positive and larger than 0.

46 is the largest positive integer in the set.

So, in increasing (ascending) order, the correct sequence is:

-150, -20, 0, 23, 46

In descending (decreasing) order (from largest to smallest), the correct sequence should be:

46, 23, 0, -20, -150

Step 3: Analyze the student's answer

The student wrote:

-150, -20, 0, 23, 46

Notice that the student correctly ordered the negative integers relative to zero and positive integers (-150 is correctly recognized as smaller than -20). This demonstrates that the student clearly understands the concept of negative numbers and comparing integers.

However, the question asked to arrange them in descending order (largest to smallest), but the student arranged them in ascending order (smallest to largest).

Conclusion:

The student understands how to order and compare integers correctly, but made a mistake by arranging them in increasing order instead of descending order.