Problem:
What is the largest difference that can be formed by subtracting two numbers chosen from the set
Answer Choices:
A.
B.
C.
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E.
Solution:
To obtain the largest difference, subtract the smallest number, , from the largest number, . Thus .
Graphing the numbers on the number line, the difference is represented by the distance between two points. The largest difference would be represented by the longest distance between numbers, which is the distance between and , a distance of .
Answer: .
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions