Which of the following lists shows the numbers 17, 3, 11, and 8 ordered from least to greatest?
A17, 11, 8, 3
B3, 8, 11, 17
C3, 11, 8, 17
D8, 3, 17, 11
Least to greatest means starting with the smallest value and stepping up to the largest — like climbing stairs. The smallest of the four numbers is 3, then 8, then 11, then 17. Option 0 is greatest to least (the reverse). Options 2 and 3 are not in any consistent order.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
A student says that 20 always comes last in any ordered list because it has two digits. Is the student's reasoning correct?
AYes — two-digit numbers always come after one-digit numbers when ordering
BNo — 20 only goes last if it is the largest number in that specific list; in a list like 20, 45, 13, it would not come last
CNo — 20 always goes first because the digit 2 is at the front
DYes — 20 is the largest number you can order
Whether a number goes last depends on the specific list you are ordering — 20 is only last if it is the greatest value in the group. In a list of numbers above 20, such as 45, 33, 20, 27, the number 20 would come first in least-to-greatest order. The number of digits a number has does not automatically determine its position in all lists.
Question 3 True / False
A list of numbers ordered from least to greatest always starts with the smallest number and ends with the largest.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
Yes — 'least to greatest' means exactly this: the sequence begins at the smallest value and each step moves to a larger value, ending at the greatest. This is like reading left to right on a number line.
Question 4 True / False
If you reverse a list that is in greatest-to-least order, the reversed list will also be in greatest-to-least order.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
Reversing a greatest-to-least list gives you a least-to-greatest list — the opposite order. For example, 19, 14, 7, 3 reversed is 3, 7, 14, 19, which goes from least to greatest. The two orders are the reverse of each other.
Question 5 Short Answer
Describe a strategy for putting a group of numbers in order from least to greatest. Explain each step.
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: One strategy: scan the group to find the smallest number, write it first, then find the smallest number remaining, write it second, and repeat until all numbers are placed. Another strategy: picture a number line from 0 to 20 and locate each number on it — reading the numbers from left to right gives least-to-greatest order.
Both strategies work by applying the same comparison skill you already know — which number is smaller — but repeatedly across a whole group. The number-line mental image is especially useful because the order of numbers is already built into the line: left is smaller, right is larger.