At Maris Stella Primary sports day, four pupils run the 100 m race. Their stopwatch times in seconds are 14.5, 14.05, 14.55 and 14.505. Arrange the times in order from FASTEST to SLOWEST (smallest to largest).
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Worked Solution
Step 1: Fastest = smallest time. So we order from smallest to largest.\n
Step 2: Align all numbers to the SAME number of decimal places by adding trailing zeros (this does not change the value):\n 14.5 → 14.500\n 14.05 → 14.050\n 14.55 → 14.550\n 14.505 → 14.505\n
Step 3: All have the same whole-number part (14). Compare the decimal parts digit by digit:\n 14.050 — tenths=0\n 14.500 — tenths=5\n 14.505 — tenths=5, hundredths=0, thousandths=5\n 14.550 — tenths=5, hundredths=5\n
Step 4: Smallest tenths first: 14.050. Then among the three with tenths=5, compare hundredths: 14.500 (h=0), 14.505 (h=0), 14.550 (h=5). Between 14.500 and 14.505, compare thousandths: 14.500 < 14.505.\n
Step 5: Final order: 14.05, 14.5, 14.505, 14.55.
Answer: 14.05, 14.5, 14.505, 14.55
Correct answer: 14.05, 14.5, 14.505, 14.55
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