Question

the roads on pinefrost mountain were closed three times last year because of extreme weather. the table shows the low temperatures on those three dates.

date	low temperature (°c)
january 9	-9
january 17	-13

on which date was the low temperature closest to zero?
december 27 january 9 january 17

Explanation:

Step1: Find absolute values

To determine which temperature is closest to zero, we find the absolute value of each temperature. The absolute value of a number $x$ is $|x|$, which represents its distance from zero on the number line.

• For December 27: $|-12| = 12$
• For January 9: $|-9| = 9$
• For January 17: $|-13| = 13$

Step2: Compare absolute values

We compare the absolute values: $9 < 12 < 13$. The smallest absolute value means the temperature is closest to zero. Since $|-9| = 9$ is the smallest, the temperature on January 9 is closest to zero.

Answer:

January 9