Ordering Numbers
What Does It Mean to Compare Numbers?
Imagine you have a pile of marbles, and your friend has a different pile. How can we know for sure who has more?You have 3 marbles: 
Your friend has 4 marbles: 
Who has more marbles?
Your friend has 4 marbles: Who has more marbles?
To find out who has more, we can line them up and match them one-to-one:
Your friend has more marbles.
Your friend has more marbles.
Definition Comparing Numbers
Comparing is looking at two or more numbers to see which is greater (bigger), less (smaller), or if they are equal (the same amount).
Definition Comparison Symbols
We use special symbols to write down our comparisons:
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
| \(=\) | is equal to |  |
| \(>\) | is greater than |  |
| \(<\) | is less than |  |
Helpful Trick: The Alligator Mouth
Think of the \(>\) and \(<\) symbols as a hungry alligator's mouth. The alligator always wants to eat the bigger number!
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Think of the \(>\) and \(<\) symbols as a hungry alligator's mouth. The alligator always wants to eat the bigger number!
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