Greater Than and Less Than Symbols in Maths | Meaning & Examples (2024)

Greater Than and Less Than Symbols: Greater than and Less than are the Mathematical symbols used to compare any two numbers. The Greaterthan symbol(>) is used if the first number is greater than the second number while the less than symbol(<) is used if the first number is smaller than the second number. Sometimes, these symbols are also known as Comparison operators.

In this article, we have provided every detail about Greater Than and Less Than Symbols, with their examples, tricks to remember these symbols and some practice problems on them.

What are Greater Than and Less Than Symbols?

The signs of Greater than and less than are used to compare two or more numbers.

Let us suppose John has 6 apples and Peter has 4 apples. Then we can say that John has more apples than Peter.

Mathematically, we can express it as

6 > 4, where (>) represents greater than symbol.

We can also say that Peter has fewer apples than John.

We can mathematically express it as,

4 < 6 where (<) stands for less than the symbol.

Greater Than and Less Than Symbols Meaning

The greater than (>) and less than (<) symbols are used in mathematics to compare the values of two numbers or expressions. Here’s how they are typically used:

• Greater Than (>): This symbol indicates that the value on the left side is larger than the value on the right side. For example, 5>35>3 means that 5 is greater than 3.
• Less Than (<): This symbol signifies that the value on the left side is smaller than the value on the right side. For example, 2<42<4 means that 2 is less than 4.

Greater Than Symbol (>)

The Greater than Symbol is used to indicate that the first number is greater than the second. It is represented by the symbol (>). In inequality, the greater than sign is always pointing to the greater value, The symbol is made up of two equal-length strokes that join at an acute angle to the right.

For Example:

12 > 5. In this case, 12 is greater than 5.

5 > 2 here, 5 is greater than 2

Less Than Symbol (<)

Less Than is used between two numbers when the first number is less than the second. It is represented by the symbol (<). In inequality, the less than sign denotes the lower value where two equal length strokes meet at an acute angle on the left.

For Example :

5 < 12 In this case, 5 is less than 12.

6 < 8 here, 6 is less than 8 .

Equal to Symbol (=)

Apart from Greater Than and Less Than symbol, the other sign that is used is equal to. The Equal to sign is used when two numbers are the same. Let’s say Ram obtained 95 marks in Maths and Rohan also obtained 95 marks in Math. Hence Marks obtained by Ram and Rohan are same.

Mathematically we can express it as,

95 = 95.

Difference between Greater Than and Less Than Symbols

Trick to Remember Greater Than and Less Than Symbol

Greater Than and Less Than signs often create confusion among students. We can easily remember the correct use of Greater than and less than symbols using these two methods :

1. Alligator Method
2. L Method

Alligator Method

The most frequent approach to illustrate how the greater than and less than symbol’s function is to compare them to the jaws of a crocodile, with the crocodile constantly seeking to eat the larger number.

Let’s understand this with the help of an Example.

We know that 12 is greater than 9. We have learnt that the crocodile opens its jaws to eat the larger number and the jaw of crocodile resembles “>”. Hence, 12 > 9

L Method

The letter “L” resembles the less than symbol “<“. We can also memories that ‘L’ stands for Less than. Hence, for less than case we will use “<” symbol.

Let’s understand it with an Example.

We know that 15 is Less than 30 and ‘L’ resembles “<“. Hence 15 < 30.

In case of 25 and 40 we know that 25 is less than 40. We have also learnt that “L” stands for Less than and ‘L’ resembles with “<“. Hence 25 < 40.

Check:

• Fractions
• Decimals
• Mixed Fractions
• Integers

Some Other Symbols in Maths

Apart from these three major signs, there are some other signs which are used in higher classes. These symbols are listed below:

People Also Read:

• Less Than Sign
• Greater Than or Equal to Sign in Maths
• Arithmetic Operations

Greater Than and Less Than Symbol Examples

Let’s solve some example questions on Greater Than and Less Than Sign

Example 1: Identify which is greater between 4 or 1 and 5 or 8

Solution:

Here 4 is greater than 1 or 4 > 1

8 is greater than 5 or 8 > 5

Example 2: Compare 2⁴ and 2², Find out which is greater?

Solution:

2⁴ can be written as 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 16 and 2² can be written as 2 × 2 = 4. So 16 > 4 .

Therefore 2⁴ is greater than 2² .

Example 3: Compare 12/2 and 9/3 and Find out which is greater?

Solution:

12/2 equals to 6 and 9/3 equals to 3.

So that, 6 > 3 which implies that 12/2 is greater than 9/3.

Applications of Greater Than Less Than Symbols in Algebra

Inequalities: They are used to represent inequalities in algebraic expressions and equations.

Ordering: They help compare numbers or algebraic expressions to determine their order.

Solving Equations: In equations involving inequalities, the greater than and less than symbols help determine the range of possible solutions.

Graphing: These symbols are used in plotting graphs on coordinate axes.

Word Problems: In real-world applications, the greater than and less than symbols are used to formulate and solve various types of word problems involving quantities, such as distances, ages, temperatures, and rates.

Greater Than and Less Than Symbol Worksheet

Here are a few practice questions on the Greater Than and Less Than Symbols for you to solve.

Q1. Ajay’s mother bought 10 roses and anujs mother bought 3 roses. Find out the person who’s bought a greater number of roses ?

Q2. Riya got 30 marks in her Math’s exam whereas her friend Jitu got 14 marks in the same exam. Who scored lesser marks?

Q3. Compare the below given numbers using greater than less than signs

• 45 and 43
• -15 and 35
• -20 and -15

Q4. Find the smallest and greater number.

33, 67, 53, 90, 2, 5

Q5. How much less is 12 km than 52.6 km?

Conclusion of Greater Than and Less Than Symbol

The greater than (>) and less than (<) symbols are essential tools in mathematics for comparing quantities and expressing inequalities. While the greater than symbol indicates that the left side is numerically larger than the right side, the less than symbol denotes that the left side is numerically smaller. These symbols play a crucial role in representing relationships between numbers, variables, and algebraic expressions, aiding in the interpretation of equations, inequalities, and graphical representations.

Greater Than and Less Than Symbol – FAQs

How To Represent Greater than and Less Than Symbols?

Greater Than is represented by “>” and Less than is represented by “<“

How do you Represent 5 is Less than 8?

Here we represent 5 is less than 8 as 5 < 8

How To Remember the Greater than and Less than Symbol?

There are two methods that we can used to remember the greater than and less than symbols are, Alligator method and L method.

What are the uses of Greater Than and Less Than Symbols?

The greater than and less than symbols are the two most popular and significant mathematical signs for denoting an inequality between any two numbers. They can be used to compare any two numbers. The greater than and less than symbols minimise time frame complexity and make arithmetic topics easier to grasp.

How To Represent Greater than 20?

We can represent numbers greater than 20, for this the greater than sign will be used. For example: ’21 is greater than 20′, so we write it as 21 > 20.