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Greater Than and Equal To in Math

September 28, 2023
written by Rida Mirza

Mathematics is like a secret code that helps us solve everyday problems. Two important symbols in this mathematical code are greater than (>) and equal to (=).

In this article, weโ€™ll discuss greater than and equal to symbols in easy words, solve some fun math problems, and create a table of numbers that are greater than or equal to each other.

image showing greater than and equal to symbols

Greater Than (>)

Imagine you have two piles of candy. If one pile has more candies than the other, we say that the first pile is โ€œgreater thanโ€ the second pile. We use the โ€œ>โ€ symbol to show this.

For example, if one pile has 5 candies, and the other has 3 candies, we write it as: 5 > 3.

Equal To (=)

Now, letโ€™s say you have two identical piles of candy, each with 4 candies. We say that they are โ€œequal toโ€ each other because they have the same number of candies. We use the โ€œ=โ€ symbol to show this. So, 4 candies = 4 candies.

Examples

Problem: 1

Is 7 greater than 9?
Answer: No, 7 is not greater than 9. So, 7 < 9.

Problem: 2

Are 3 apples equal to 3 bananas?
Answer: Yes, 3 apples are equal to 3 bananas. So, 3 apples = 3 bananas.

Problem: 3

Is 12 greater than or equal to 12?
Answer: Yes, 12 is equal to itself, so 12 = 12. Itโ€™s also greater than or equal to itself.

Greater Than and Equal To Table

Now, letโ€™s create a table of some numbers that are greater than or equal to each other:

Number ANumber BRelationship
535 > 3 (Greater than)
444 = 4 (Equal to)
101010 = 10 (Equal to)
8128 < 12 (Less than)
151515 = 15 (Equal to)
797 < 9 (Less than)

In this table, you can see how different numbers compare to each other using the โ€œgreater thanโ€ and โ€œequal toโ€ symbols.

Understanding โ€œgreater thanโ€ and โ€œequal toโ€ is essential in math. It helps us compare numbers, make decisions, and solve problems in our daily lives.