Find the Missing Sign Between B and G on a Number Line: -4 ? 1

Inequality Comparison with Number Line

Fill in the missing sign (?):

B?G B?G

AAAKKK-5-5-5BBB-4-4-4CCC-3-3-3DDD-2-2-2EEE-1-1-1FFF000GGG111HHH222III333JJJ444555

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1

Understand the problem

Fill in the missing sign (?):

B?G B?G

AAAKKK-5-5-5BBB-4-4-4CCC-3-3-3DDD-2-2-2EEE-1-1-1FFF000GGG111HHH222III333JJJ444555

2

Step-by-step solution

Let's locate the letters on the number line and see which numbers they represent:

B=4 B=-4

G=1 G=1

Since the number 1 is positive and the number minus 4 is negative:

4<1 -4<1

3

Final Answer

< <

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic
  • Rule: Negative numbers are always less than positive numbers
  • Technique: Locate both points: B is at -4, G is at 1
  • Check: Move right on number line from -4 to reach 1 ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors
  • Confusing negative numbers as larger because they look bigger
    Don't think -4 > 1 because 4 looks bigger than 1 = wrong comparison! Negative numbers are always smaller than positive numbers. Always remember the number line: left means smaller, right means larger.

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 less than 1 if 4 is bigger than 1?

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Great question! The negative sign changes everything. Think of it as debt: having 4indebtisworsethanhaving4 in debt is worse than having 1 in your pocket. On the number line, negative numbers are always to the left of positive numbers.

How do I remember which way the inequality sign goes?

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Use the number line trick! The inequality symbol points to the smaller number. Since -4 is to the left of 1 on the number line, we write 4<1 -4 < 1 .

What if both numbers were negative?

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When comparing two negative numbers, the one closer to zero is larger. For example: 2>5 -2 > -5 because -2 is to the right of -5 on the number line.

Do I need to use the number line every time?

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Not always! Once you understand the pattern, you can remember: negative < positive and smaller negative numbers are actually larger. But the number line is always there to help visualize!

What does the question mark in B?G mean?

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The question mark represents the missing comparison symbol you need to find. It could be < < , > > , or = = . Your job is to determine which one correctly compares the two values!

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