Final answer:
The numbers -5/2 and -1/2 are located on the negative side of a horizontal number line with -5/2 being further left than -1/2, indicating a greater negative value. Understanding the rules of multiplication and division with regard to signs aids in grasping these concepts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The numbers -5/2 and -1/2 represent specific positions on a horizontal number line. The negative sign indicates that both numbers are located to the left of the origin, which is zero on the number line. To understand their relationship, it is important to recognize the rules of multiplication and division because these operations influence the sign of an answer, much like how a number's position on a number line denotes its sign. The concepts include that the product of two positive numbers is positive, the product of two negative numbers is positive, and the product of numbers with opposite signs is negative, all mirroring the sign rules for division.
On a horizontal number line, -5/2 and -1/2 are both found on the negative side, with -5/2 being further away from zero than -1/2. In essence, if one were to stand on the origin and walk to -1/2, and then continue to -5/2, the journey would move leftward on the number line, indicating a passage through negative values. Taking turns to define one's position relative to an origin on a real-life number line, as in a group activity, enables a practical understanding of these negative positions. Also, positioning horizontally at some negative value on a graph would translate to a horizontal line, specifically option (c).