More Than One Answer

An equation like x = 5 has one solution. An inequality like x > 5 has infinitely many — 6, 7, 100, and 5.001 all qualify. Inequalities describe ranges rather than single points. They answer questions like "how fast must I drive to arrive on time?" where many speeds work.

The four symbols are > (greater than), < (less than), ≥ (greater than or equal to), and ≤ (less than or equal to). The open end always points toward the larger value, while the pointed vertex aims at the smaller one. Think of the symbol as a hungry mouth that opens toward the bigger meal — a handy way to remember the direction.