Consider the three integers 1123, 1294 and 15. Which of the following chained inequalities using “greater than” is true?

Introduction / Context:
This is a basic comparison and ordering question. It tests whether you can quickly compare three given integers and write them in the correct decreasing order using the greater than symbol. Such questions appear as simple warm up items in quantitative aptitude tests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The integers are 1123, 1294 and 15.
• We must select the option that lists them in a correct decreasing order using the symbol “>”.

Concept / Approach:
To order numbers, compare their magnitudes:

• The number with the highest value should appear first in a decreasing chain.
• The smallest number should appear at the end.

We compare thousands, hundreds, tens and units place where appropriate to rank the integers.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Compare 1294 and 1123. Both are four digit numbers, but 1294 has 12 hundreds and 94 units while 1123 has 11 hundreds and 23 units. Clearly, 1294 > 1123. Next compare 1123 and 15. 1123 is a four digit number while 15 is only a two digit number, so 1123 > 15. From these comparisons we obtain the order: 1294 > 1123 > 15. Hence the correct chained inequality is 1294 > 1123 > 15.

Verification / Alternative check:
If needed, think in terms of approximate sizes: 1294 is close to 1300, 1123 is close to 1100, 15 is very small compared to any four digit number. This confirms the order 1294 > 1123 > 15.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1123 > 1294 > 15 is incorrect because the first comparison 1123 > 1294 is false. 15 > 1123 > 1294 and 15 > 1294 > 1123 are both impossible since 15 is clearly the smallest number. 1123 > 15 > 1294 is wrong because 15 is not greater than 1294.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes students misread digits or focus only on the last digits rather than comparing from the highest place value. Always compare from left to right: thousands, hundreds, tens and units. It is also easy to read the chained inequality backwards, so double check that you are interpreting “>” correctly as “greater than”.

Final Answer:
The true inequality is 1294 > 1123 > 15.