Comparing Inequalities: Is -4 Greater Than -3 on a Number Line?

Q: Why is -4 smaller than -3 when 4 is bigger than 3?

Think of negative numbers as temperatures below zero! -4°C is colder (smaller) than -3°C. The further left on the number line, the smaller the value.

Q: How do I remember which negative number is bigger?

Use the number line trick: rightward movement = increasing value. Since -3 is to the right of -4, we know $ -3 > -4 $.

Q: What does the symbol > mean again?

The symbol > means "greater than" and means "less than". Think of it as a hungry mouth that always wants to eat the bigger number!

Q: Can I use real-world examples to understand this?

Absolutely! Think of:Debt: Owing $4 is worse than owing $3Elevation: 4 feet below sea level is lower than 3 feet belowTemperature: -4°C is colder than -3°C

Q: How do I write the comparison correctly?

You can write it two ways: $ -4 (read as "-4 is less than -3") or \( -3 > -4 $ (read as "-3 is greater than -4"). Both are correct!

Negative Number Comparison with Number Lines

$-4>-3$

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Understand the problem

$-4>-3$

Step-by-step solution

The answer is incorrect because neative 3 is greater than negative 4:

$-4 < -3$

Final Answer

Not true

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Rule: Numbers to the left are smaller than numbers to the right
Technique: Position -4 is left of -3, so -4 < -3
Check: Verify by moving right increases value: -4 → -3 increases ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Thinking larger absolute values mean larger numbers with negatives
Don't compare just the numbers after the negative sign = wrong order! |-4| > |-3| but -4 < -3 because negative numbers work opposite to positive. Always remember that negative numbers get smaller as they move away from zero.

Practice Quiz

Test your knowledge with interactive questions

All negative numbers appear on the number line to the left of the number 0.

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why is -4 smaller than -3 when 4 is bigger than 3?

Think of negative numbers as temperatures below zero! -4°C is colder (smaller) than -3°C. The further left on the number line, the smaller the value.

How do I remember which negative number is bigger?

Use the number line trick: rightward movement = increasing value. Since -3 is to the right of -4, we know $-3 > -4$ .

What does the symbol > mean again?

The symbol > means "greater than" and < means "less than". Think of it as a hungry mouth that always wants to eat the bigger number!

Can I use real-world examples to understand this?

Absolutely! Think of:

Debt: Owing $4 is worse than owing$ 3
Elevation: 4 feet below sea level is lower than 3 feet below
Temperature: -4°C is colder than -3°C

How do I write the comparison correctly?

You can write it two ways: $-4 < -3$ (read as "-4 is less than -3") or $-3 > -4$ (read as "-3 is greater than -4"). Both are correct!

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