Brendan says that the negative of - 1/3 is 3 because they are on opposite sides of zero when they are plotted on the number line.

Is Brendan correct? Explain your answer.

No! Brendan has totally got the wrong idea.

Step-by-step explanation:

Numbers on the right hand side of zero are said to be positive, while, the numbers on the opposite side are said to be negative.

That means Brendan's correct in saying that -1/3 lies on the opposite side of 3, since negative numbers lie on the opposite side of the positives.

But,

Negative "of" a number is the same number with opposite sign.

That is, if a number is 3 units away from the zero, it's negative will also be 3 units away from zero, but on the opposite side.

-1/3 and 3 do not lie at the same distance from zero.

-1/3 would be approached before -1 by walking in the negative direction whereas 3 would be approached after 1.

Therefore, Brendan is wrong as the negative of a number has opposite sign but same "magnitude".

pla·gia·rism

/ˈplājəˌrizəm/

learn to pronounce

noun

the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.

step-by-step explanation: