Which of the following numbers is closest to -3.4 ?
(A) -4
(B) -3
(C) 0
(D) 3
(E) 4
On a number line, -3.4 is between -4 and -3 .

This means that -3.4 is closer to -4 and -3 than to any of 0,3 or 4 , and so the answer must be -4 or -3 .

If we start at -3 and move in the negative direction (that is, to the left), we reach -3.4 after moving 0.4 units.

It then takes an additional 0.6 units to move in the negative direction from -3.4 to -4 .

Therefore, -3.4 is closer to -3 than to -4 , and so the answer is (B) or -3 .

Alternatively, when comparing $-3,-4$ and -3.4 , we could note that -3.4 is between -3.5 and -3 and so is closer to -3 :

![](https://cdn.mathpix.com/cropped/2024_04_20_faa9db06d997f2a5b9b1g-011.jpg?height=114&width=594&top_left_y=1363&top_left_x=820)

ANSWER: (B)