Which one is less?
Which morning was colder, −5°C or −2°C? Many say −5 is greater because 5 is greater than 2.
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Step 1 of 4
- Put −5 and −2 on one line.
- Mark both spots.
- −5 sits further left.
- So −5 is less.
The rule
−5°C was colder, because −5 is less than −2.
Put both numbers on one line. The one further left is less. The one further right is greater.
Example
−5 is 3 steps left of −2. From −2, go left: −3, −4, −5. That is 3 steps. So −5 is less than −2.
For 2 and 7, 7 is further right. So 7 is greater. For −4 and 6, −4 is left of zero. 6 is right of zero. So −4 is less than 6.