Fourteen-year-old Ruth mistakenly believes that the number 0.349 is larger than the number 0.80. Which one of the following explanations of her error is most likely?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ruth's mistake is likely due to misapplying a principle of whole numbers to decimal numbers. In whole numbers, a number with more digits following the initial digit (e.g., 349) is larger than a number with fewer digits following the initial digit (e.g., 80). However, this principle does not apply to decimal numbers, where the value of the digit immediately after the decimal point is the most significant in determining the size of the number.

Fourteen-Year-Old Ruth Mistakenly Believes That the Number 0