Less than Symbol (Definition & Examples)
The less than symbol indicates that one value is less than another when comparing numbers. By using greater or less than & equal, you can understand how one number differs from another.
There is an equal value between two numbers, whether one number is greater or smaller than the other. It is necessary to use the greater than sign when one number is greater than another.
Define Less Than Symbol
The symbol you know for less than is familiar with <. Since it does not establish equality between two numbers or expressions, it is an inequality symbol. You know only that one value is smaller than the other.
Using the greater than and less than signs in mathematics is easy when you know how to use them. Solve the problems using the methods you learned to remember the symbols.
Mathematical Expression of Less than Symbol
If a is given with a value of 10 and a is small, then it means that a is smaller than 10.
A symbol like the one above indicates that one value is less than another.
The statement 32 is smaller than 36 is true if it is true. Thus, you can write it as 32 < 36 using the less than sign. Signs with wide open ends always face the larger number, while signs with pointed ends always face the smaller one.
A less than symbol indicates a relationship between two values in which one value is less than the other. Using the example above, 4 < 6 indicates the value of 4 is less than 6.
It represents a comparison between two or more quantities using an inequality symbol. You will say 4 is less than 6 or 6 is greater than 4 if you want to show the comparison between 4 and 6. Therefore, it illustrates the relationship between these two numbers. The numbers can be represented as 4 < 6.
Things to Remember in Less than
The easiest way to remember greater than and less than signs is to imagine them as hungry alligators eating larger numbers. Therefore, the sign’s wide open side faces a greater number.
Another way to memorize them is to observe that the sign < looks like the letter L & means less than.
Less than Symbol Sign Applications
A less than sign is used by pointing the pointed end towards the smaller number and the wide open end towards the greater number. The two digit numbers 64 and 28 can be compared. You can compare the tens digits first when comparing two digit numbers. When the tens are the same, the ones will be compared.
The difference between 2 and 6 can be seen here. You can conclude that 28 is less than 64. By using the less than symbol, it can be written as 14 < 32.
Mathematics describes inequality between two values using the less than and greater than symbols. Inequality less than is represented by the symbol <.
Define Greater than Symbol
Whenever one number exceeds another, such as a bigger number > a smaller number, greater than signs are used. In addition to using symbols, you can also express that the number on the left is greater than the one on the right. You can write 40>26 because 40 is greater than 26.
Difference between Less than & Greater than
When a value is less than another value, it means that it is smaller than another value. Less than is also known as lower than, below, fewer, and smaller than.
Symbolically, it is represented by the letter <. You can get greater than symbols if we flip this symbol. The symbol > in math stands for greater than. A value that is greater than another value is said to be greater than it. Contrary to less inequality, it is just the opposite.
There are also synonyms for greater than, bigger than, higher than, and much more. In this case, < represents less than, and > represents greater than.
Less than signs are drawn so that the open side points towards the bigger number and the pointed end points towards the smaller number. As with the less than sign, the greater than sign also does the same thing. The only difference is that when using a greater than sign, you write the larger number first, followed by the sign. 10 < 12 implies 10 less than 12 and 12 > 10 implies 12 greater than 10.
Define Equal to Symbol
A symbol indicates that two quantities have the same value. Generally, this type of sign is used at places where you need to specify a quantity.
Equal to is represented by the symbol =. In mathematics, equal to has two types: greater than equal to and less than equal to.
Greater than equal to
In other words, the value should be equal to or greater than the given value. Dance groups can have more than ten members. A minimum of 10 participants is required, but a maximum of participants is not clearly mentioned. If you want to write it mathematically, you can write P ≥ 10.
Less than equal to
Consequently, the jug can hold 8 cups of water or it can hold less than 8 cups. In other words, the amount should be equal to or less than the given amount.
Water can be stored in a jug up to four cups. Using a mathematical notation, it can be expressed as ≤ 8 units as capacity.
Solved Examples for Less than Symbol
- There are 34 apples for Mahesh and 58 apples for Rahul. Count the apples to find out who has more?
The following information needs to be listed to solve this mathematical problem
A total of 34 apples are in Mahesh’s possession
There are 58 apples in Rahul’s possession
Due to the fact that 58 is greater than 34, 58 > 34
Accordingly, Rahul has a larger amount of apples than Mahesh.
- As a result of his math exam, Carlos gained 80 points, while Juan scored 48 points. What were the lowest scores?
The following information needs to be listed to solve this mathematical problem
Carlos obtained 80 out of 100
The marks Juan obtained were 48 out of 100
In this case, 48 < 80 is the solution, because 48 is less than 80
Consequently, Juan’s score was lower than Carlos.
- The mother of Kajol bought 10 roses, while the mother of Puja bought 4 roses. Can you calculate whose mother purchased the most roses?
The following information needs to be listed to solve this mathematical problem
There are 10 roses in Kajol’s mother’s garden
It is Puja’s mother who has four roses in her garden
The number 10 is greater than the number 4, so 10 > 4
The number of roses in Kajol’s mother’s garden is more than Puja’s garden.
- Rohan earned 93 points in his math exam, while Rakesh earned 87. Among the highest scores, what did you find?
The following information needs to be listed to solve this mathematical problem
Rohan were obtained 93 out of 100
The marks Rakesh obtained were 87 out of 100
In this case, 93 > 87 is the solution, because 93 is higher than 87
As a result, you can see Rohan scored higher marks than Rakesh.
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