Final answer:
The number A. 1 is bigger than -4 because positive numbers are always greater than negative numbers. The correct answer to the student's question is A. 1, since it is positioned to the right of zero on the number line making it larger than any negative number.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question asks which number is bigger between 1 and -4. To answer this, we need to consider the sign of the numbers in relation to zero on the number line. Positive numbers are always greater than negative numbers because they are to the right of zero on the number line.
Thus, 1 is greater than -4. Additionally, when comparing two numbers where one is positive and one is negative, the positive number is always the larger number. Therefore, the correct option in the final answer is A. 1.
In the context of mathematical rules, numbers to the right of zero (positive) are larger than those to the left of zero (negative). So, without even comparing the magnitude of the numbers, the sign provides the information needed to determine that 1 is larger than -4.
When dealing with linear equations, vectors, or the sign of numbers, understanding the relative position of numbers on the number line is crucial. Just like the sign of a charge in physics is independent of its magnitude, the sign of a number in math dictates its position relative to zero and, consequently, its relative size.