If one nail is approximately 2 inches long and another is approximately 1 inch long, what is the approximate difference in their lengths?

• A. 1 inch
• B. 1/2 inch
• C. 2 inches
• D. 1 1/2 inch

Answer: (A)

Subtracting approximate lengths to see how far apart they are. If one nail is about 2 inches and the other about 1 inch, use the larger minus the smaller: 2 − 1 ≈ 1 inch. Since both measurements are rounded, the difference is also approximate, but it’s essentially 1 inch. Other options would require the second length to be a different rounded value (for example, a half-inch difference would need the second nail around 1.5 inches), which isn’t consistent with the given approximate lengths. So the approximate difference is about 1 inch.