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Comparing Numbers - Cycle 1
| Mathematics
What is comparing numbers?
Comparing numbers is determining whether a number is lesser, greater, or equal to another number.
The symbol < indicates that one number is less than another.
The symbol > indicates that one number is greater than another.
The symbol = indicates that two numbers have the same value. They are equal.
How to compare numbers using a number line
On a number line, the numbers are always placed in ascending order. To read a number line, look at the numbers from left to right.
The number furthest to the left is the smallest.
I locate the numbers 10 and 16 on the number line to compare them.
The number on the left is 10.
10 is less than 16.
10 < 16
The number furthest to the right is the largest.
I locate the numbers 25 and 15 on the number line to compare them.
The number on the right is 25.
25 is greater than 15.
25 > 15