Greater than and Less than Symbols

To learn greater than and less than symbols its important to recall that every number on a number ray is greater than each number on its left and less than each number on its right.

The symbol ">" means "greater than" and the symbol "<" means "less than".

For example using "greater than" and "less than":

5 > 0,                    

5 > 1,                    

5 >2,                     

5 >3,                     

5 > 4

5 < 6                      

5 < 7                      

5 < 8                      

5 < 9                      

5 < 10

Rules to compare the numbers:

1. The more the number of digits, the greater is the number.

2. If two numbers have the same number of digits, look for the left hand side numbers. The number with the bigger digit on the left hand side is greater.

3. If the two left most digits are the same then compare the next digit to the right and continue in this manner.

Example: 

The smallest 2 digit number 10 appeared just after the greatest 1 digit number 9. So every 2 digit number is greater than every 1 digit number.

Thus every 3 digit number is greater than every 3 digit number.

Example to identify greater than & less than symbols:

38 > 21 since 3 >2 (left most digits are 3 and 2)

25 > 15 since 2 >1 (left most digits are 2 and 1)

45 < 51 since 4 < 5 (left most digits are 4 and 5)

33 < 47 since 3 < 4 (left most digits are 3 and 4)

21 < 23 since 2 = 2 and 1 < 3 [next (second ) digits from left are 1 and 3]

64 > 60 since 6 = 6 and 4 > 0 [next (second ) digits from left are 4 and 0]

2nd Grade Math Practice

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