What is the symbol for greater than?
Level
Primary
3
Lesson Steps:

Steps taken to use the "greater than" symbol.

Step 1: Start with your arrow >. The open side of the arrow should face the larger number.

Step 2: Determine which number is larger than the other. Example: Is 1000 or 999 the larger number? Since 1000 is larger than 999, you would face the open side of the arrow towards 1000.

Step 3: Write it down.

1000 > 999

or

999 < 1000

* Whether the larger number is on the right side or the left side of the math problem, you face the open side of the arrow towards the larger number.

Which symbol do you use when you want to show that one number is larger than another?

Using the "greater than" symbol, which looks like this:

>

will allow you to express which number is larger than the other.

When you look at the symbol, you can see that it is in the shape of an arrow.

There is an open part of the arrow and there is a pointed part of the arrow.

To show that a number is greater than another number, you simply face the open

part of the arrow towards the larger number, like this:

8 > 2

Since 8 is larger than 2, we place the open side of the arrow towards the 8.

We can also do it like this:

2 < 8

If you pay close attention, you can see that it doesn't matter which side

the larger number is on, we only have to flip our arrow around to show that the

open side of the arrow faces the bigger number and the pointed side of the

arrow faces the smaller number.

Now try some for yourself.

Practice by showing which number is greater than the other:

7 _____ 9

8 _____ 12

23 ____18