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International Baccalaureate · PYP 0

Comparing Quantities

⌚ ~66 min ▢ 6 blocks ✓ 30 exercises ➣ Prerequisites : Numbers to 5
I Comparing Numbers

Léa has a pile of marbles, and Tom has another one. Léa has 3 marbles: Figure Tom has 4 marbles: Figure Who has more marbles?

To find out who has more, we can line them up and match them one-to-one:
Figure
Tom has one extra marble that does not have a partner. This means 4 is greater than 3.
Tom has more marbles.


Definition — Comparing Numbers
Comparing is looking at two numbers to see which is greater (bigger), which is less (smaller), or if they are equal (the same amount).
Method — Comparing by Matching
To compare two groups of objects, we match them one-to-one, as far as we can: one object of the first group with one object of the second group.
  • If one group still has an object left without a partner, that group has more, and the other group has fewer.
  • If every object has a partner, the two groups have as many: there is the same amount.
Example
Tom has 3 apples. Léa has 3 lemons. Who has more fruits — or do they have as many?
Figure

We match the fruits one-to-one: each apple gets a lemon as a partner.
Figure
No fruit is left without a partner. Tom has as many fruits as Léa: neither has more than the other.

Definition — Comparison Symbols
We use special symbols to write down our comparisons:
Symbol Meaning Example
\(=\) is equal to Figure
\(>\) is greater than Figure
\(<\) is less than Figure
The Alligator Mouth
The symbols \(>\) and \(<\) can be pictured as the open mouth of a hungry alligator: the alligator eats the greater number.
Figure \(\quad\) Figure
The open mouth always faces the greater number.
Report an error
Example
Here are two groups of apples. Which group has more? How do we write it with a symbol?
Figure

We match the apples one-to-one: the top group has one apple left without a partner.
Figure
The top group has more: 4 is greater than 3. With the symbol, we write \(4 > 3\) — the open mouth faces 4, the greater number.

Skills to practice
  • Finding the Group with More, Fewer or As Many
  • Comparing Numbers of Cubes
  • Comparing Numbers of Fruits
  • Comparing Ten-Frames
  • Comparing Written Numbers
II Going further
Skills to practice
  • Completing Comparisons with Pictures
  • Quiz