Comparing numbers
🎯 In this topic you will
- Compare sets of objects and numbers using clear visual and numerical methods.
🧠 Key Words
- compare
- equal
- less
- fewer
- more
- same
Show Definitions
- compare: To examine two or more sets or numbers to identify similarities and differences.
- equal: Having the same quantity, number, or value as another set or number.
- less: A smaller amount or value when comparing numbers or quantities.
- fewer: A smaller number of individual items when counting separate objects.
- more: A greater amount or number compared to another set or value.
- same: Exactly equal in quantity, value, or number when compared.
🔍 Comparing Different Sets
You can compare different sets. You can find out which set has more, fewer, or the same number of objects as another set.
📊 Understanding Fewer and More
Fewer means the same as less. More means the same as greater.
❓ EXERCISES
1. Compare the sets. Tick the set that has fewer objects.
👀 Show answer
2. Compare the sets. Tick the set that has fewer objects.
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3. Compare the sets. Tick the set that has more objects.
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4. Compare the sets. Tick the sets that have the same number of objects.
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5. Compare the sets. Complete the sentences.
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There are $9$ oranges.
There are more $\text{oranges}$ than $\text{bananas}$, so there are fewer $\text{bananas}$ than $\text{oranges}$.
6. Compare the sets. Complete the sentences.
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There are $7$ snails.
There are fewer $\text{snails}$ than $\text{spiders}$ so there are more $\text{spiders}$ than $\text{snails}$.
$7 < 9$.
7. Look at question 6. How many more spiders than snails? How many fewer snails than spiders?
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There are $2$ fewer snails than spiders because $9 - 7 = 2$.
8. Write a number that is greater than $4$.
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9. Write a number that is less than $5$.
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🧠 Think like a Mathematician
Activity: Investigate what happens when you keep adding $1$ object and then keep taking away $1$ object.
Method:
- Take $3$ objects.
- Take $1$ more. How many do you have now?
- Take $1$ more. How many do you have now?
- Keep adding $1$ object each time until you have $10$ objects. Notice what happens to the number each time.
- When you have $10$ objects, put $1$ back. How many do you have now?
- Put another $1$ back. How many do you have now?
- Keep taking away $1$ object each time until you have $0$ objects left. Notice what happens to the number each time.
Follow-up Questions:
Show Answers
- 1: Each time you add $1$, the total increases by $1$. The numbers go up in order: $3, 4, 5, 6, \dots, 10$.
- 2: Each time you take away $1$, the total decreases by $1$. The numbers go down in order: $10, 9, 8, 7, \dots, 0$.
- 3: Adding $1$ and taking away $1$ are opposite operations. One increases the number by $1$, and the other decreases it by $1$.