Topic: Equations and Inequalities C2.4 – What is an Inequality?

Ontario Curriculum Expectation:

5.C2.4 solve inequalities that involve one operation and whole numbers up to 50, and verify and graph the solutions.

An inequality shows the relationship of two expressions when they are compared.

These symbols are used in inequalities:

>   Greater than

<   Less than

≥   Greater than or equal to

≤   Less than or equal to

Here is an example of an inequality that means 8 is greater than 6:

8 > 6

We can also use a variable in an inequality such as:

n < 9

n < 9 means n is a value smaller than 9. So there are many possibilities. n can be 5, 6, or 8.

But n cannot be 9 because 9 is not less than 9.