Let's start by rewriting the negativefractions so that the negative sign is in the numerator for each of the fractions. This will make it easier to understand how we can graph the negative numbers.
{7/5, - 3/5, 3/4, - 6/5 }
In three of the fractions the denominator is 5. To graph these, we divide the segments between each whole number on a number line into five equal spaces as shown below.
For each of the fractions, we move to the left from 0 when the numerator is negative and to the right when the numerator is positive. To graph 75 we move seven fifths (seven spaces on the number line) to the right of 0, as shown below. We can graph -65 and -35 in a similar fashion on the same number line.
The remaining fraction has a denominator of 4, so we will now divide the number line into fourths. Since the numerator is positive 3 we now move three spaces to the right of 0 to graph 35.
Now we have graphed each number on the number line. The least number lies furthest to the left on the number line because it is the most negative. As we move to the right on the number line, the numbers become greater. By reading the marked positions we can order the numbers from least to greatest.
{- 6/5, - 3/5, 3/4, 7/5}
