What is the Less-Than Symbol?
Mathematical symbols are used to carry out various operations. The symbols make it simple to refer to mathematical quantities. It is important to remember that mathematics is made up entirely of numbers and symbols. Mathematicians use a variety of symbols to represent not only different quantities but also the relationships between them and numbers.
The less-than symbol is used to compare two values by identifying the smaller value between the two.
The less-than symbol looks like an acute angle, with two points (1 and 2) on the right and joined to a third point (3) on the left, as shown in the image.
Hence the less than symbol is represented as:
A few examples of numbers being compared using the less-than symbol are provided below.
How can we Remember the Less-Than Sign?
- Imagine the “less-than” symbol as a hungry alligator who always eats the larger number. As a result, the wide-open side of the sign faces the larger number. This is one of the easiest ways to remember it.
- Another way to remember the symbol is to observe how the symbol “<“ resembles the letter “L”. To put it another way, “<“ denotes “less-than.”
Rapid Recall
The less-than symbol:
Solved Less-Than Sign Examples
Example 1:
In her maths exam, Emma scored 50 marks, while her friend Sophia scored 14 marks. Who got the lower score?
Solution:
Given,
Marks obtained by Emma = 50
Marks obtained by Sophia = 14
As 14 is less than 50, the answer is 14 < 50.
As a result, Sophia got a lower score than Emma.
Example 2:
Erica was required to collect different varieties of leaves and paste them on two sheets. She pasted 8 on sheet I and 9 on sheet II to fit them all on two sheets. Which sheet has the smaller number of leaves?
Solution:
Erica pasted 8 leaves on sheet I and 9 leaves on sheet II as part of her assignment.
The number 8 is smaller than the number 9.
As a result, the number of leaves on sheet I is less than the number of leaves on sheet II, that is, 8 < 9.
As a result, sheet I has a lesser number of leaves.
Example 3:
The weight of a cow is 400 pounds. Its calf is 150 pounds in weight. Who do you think weighs lesser? To represent this data, use the less-than symbol.
Solution:
Given,
Weight of the cow = 400 lbs
Weight of the calf = 150 lbs
Both values have the same unit. Let us take a look at the numbers 400 and 150.
Both are three-digit numbers.
On comparing them, we can see that 150 is less than 400, that is, 150 < 400.
As a result, the calf weighs less than the cow.
The less-than sign is used to compare two values. It indicates that one value is less than another. For example, 75 is lower in value compared to 85. So, 75 < 85 can be used to represent this.
The following terms can be used to describe the ‘<’ symbol:
- Less than
- Lower than
- Not greater than
- Not higher than
- Fewer
As the name implies, the term “less than” refers to something that is smaller in comparison to another quantity. The symbol “<“ is used to represent it. For instance, 2 < 4 denotes that the number 2 is lower than the number 4.
60 is not greater than 70 can be represented mathematically as 60 < 70.