Answer :
Final answer:
The correct way to plot the numbers -73 and 143 on a number line is to place -73 on the left and 143 on the right, corresponding to option A.
Explanation:
To plot the points -73 and 143 on the number line, imagine a line with 0 at the center. On the left side of 0, mark -73 and on the right side of 0, mark 143. This will correctly represent the positions of the points on the number line.
On any standard number line in mathematics, negative numbers are located to the left of the origin, which is marked as zero, and positive numbers are to the right. When plotting points on a number line, you should align each point according to its value relative to zero.
Consequently, the number -73, being negative, would be positioned to the left side, while the positive number 143 would be plotted on the right side. This is consistent with the fundamental rules of plotting on the Cartesian coordinate system.
The number line stretches infinitely in both directions, so all negative numbers will continue to the left, and positive numbers will extend to the right.
Therefore The correct option is A. -73 on the left, 143 on the right.