Question

Joan represents the height at which a sea gull is flying at +6 feet and the depth at which a fish is swimming at −2 feet on a number line, where 0 represents the surface of the water. Which of these explains whether the sea gull or the fish is closer to the surface of the water?

The fish is closer to the surface of the water because |+6| = 6 and − |−2| = −2, and −2 < 6.

The fish is closer to the surface of the water because |+6| = 6 and |−2| = 2, and 2 < 6.

The sea gull is closer to the surface of the water because |+6| = −6 and |−2| = −2, and −2 > −6.

The sea gull is closer to the surface of the water because |+6| = 6 and − |−2| = 2, and 6 > 2.

Answer 1

Well, To Find What Is Closer, We Need To See Which One Is Closer To Zero. To Do That, Change The Numbers To Absolute Value.
So, -2 Becomes 2 and 6 becomes 6.
Now, 2 is closer to zero than 6, so that eliminates C and D.
So, Lets Examine.
The Absolute Value Of -2 Is Not Negative 2, So, That Leaves Us With Our Answer, B.