More and Less Examples in Math
Start with the recap, study the fully worked examples, then use the practice problems to check your understanding of More and Less.
This page combines explanation, solved examples, and follow-up practice so you can move from recognition to confident problem-solving in Math.
Concept Recap
Comparing two quantities to determine which is greater, which is smaller, or whether they are equal.
Like comparing piles of blocks—the taller pile has more. Or compare two rows one-to-one; the row with leftover has more.
Read the full concept explanation →How to Use These Examples
- Read the first worked example with the solution open so the structure is clear.
- Try the practice problems before revealing each solution.
- Use the related concepts and background knowledge badges if you feel stuck.
What to Focus On
Core idea: More and less decides which of two quantities is greater or smaller by lining them up.
Common stuck point: The procedure for more and less is the easy part; the trap is judging more by how spread out the objects are. Asking "Am I deciding which of exactly two quantities is greater or smaller?" first is what keeps a correct-looking calculation from being attached to the wrong concept.
Sense of Study hint: Ask: Am I deciding which of exactly two quantities is greater or smaller?
Worked Examples
Example 1
easyUse , , or to compare: ___ .
Answer
First step
1
Compare the tens digits first: 4 tens vs. 7 tens. Since , the tens digit of 47 is smaller.
Full solution
- 2 Therefore .
- 3 Check: 47 is in the forties, 74 is in the seventies — confirmed.
When comparing whole numbers with the same number of digits, compare from the leftmost digit. The first place where the digits differ determines the order. Here, 4 tens < 7 tens, so 47 < 74.
Example 2
mediumOrder from least to greatest: , , , , .
Example 3
easy🐶🐶 and 🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱. Which group has more?
Example 4
medium🍪🍪🍪🍪 cookies on the plate. 🍪🍪 cookies in the jar. Which has fewer?
Example 5
hardYou have 2 red blocks and 3 blue blocks. Are there more red or more blue blocks?
Example 6
easyMaya has 5 grapes. Liam has 1 more grape than Maya. How many grapes does Liam have?
Example 7
mediumOwen has 4 toy cars. Ava has 1 less than Owen. How many cars does Ava have?
Example 8
easyCompare using , , or : .
Example 9
easySara has 13 marbles. Ben has 19 marbles. How many more marbles does Ben have than Sara?
Example 10
hardJack has 24 baseball cards. Lily has 10 more than Jack. Emma has 10 less than Jack. How many cards does Lily have, and how many does Emma have?
Example 11
easyCompare using , , or : .
Example 12
easyThe school library has 325 picture books and 287 chapter books. How many more picture books than chapter books?
Example 13
hardA toy store has 528 stuffed animals on Monday. They sell 100, then receive a shipment of 245. How many do they have now, and how many more or fewer than at the start?
Practice Problems
Try these problems on your own first, then open the solution to compare your method.
Example 1
easyInsert , , or between each pair: (a) ___ , (b) ___ .
Example 2
mediumWhich is greater, or ? Use cross-multiplication to decide.
Example 3
easyFill in the symbol: .
Example 4
easyFill in the symbol: .
Example 5
easyWhich pile has more: 5 blocks or 9 blocks?
Example 6
easyWhich is less: 12 or 21?
Example 7
easyTrue or false: .
Example 8
easyCompare using one-to-one matching: row A has 4 stars, row B has 4 stars. More, less, or equal?
Example 9
easyWhich comes first when counting up, 4 or 7?
Example 10
easyFill in the symbol: .
Example 11
mediumOrder these from least to greatest: 23, 19, 31, 9.
Example 12
mediumIf is a whole number and , list all values of including 0.
Example 13
mediumWhich is greater, or ?
Example 14
mediumTom has 24 stickers, Mia has 18. How many more does Tom have?
Example 15
mediumPlace the correct symbol: .
Example 16
mediumWhich is larger, or ?
Example 17
mediumA recipe needs more than 2 cups but less than 3 cups of flour. Could cups work?
Example 18
mediumWhich weighs more: a 3-kilogram bag or a 3000-gram bag?
Example 19
challengeFind all whole numbers with that are even.
Example 20
challengeTwo numbers have a sum of 20 and the larger is 4 more than the smaller. Which is larger and by how much?
Example 21
challengeOrder from least to greatest: , , .
Example 22
mediumA number line shows points at and . Which is farther right, and is it greater?
Example 23
easyWhich group has more? Group A: 🍎🍎🍎. Group B: 🍎.
Example 24
easyWhich group has fewer? Group A: 🐟🐟🐟🐟. Group B: 🐟🐟.
Example 25
easyYou have 3 stars. Your friend has 5 stars. Who has more stars?
Example 26
easyWhich is fewer: 4 ducks or 1 duck?
Example 27
mediumRow A: 🐝🐝🐝. Row B: 🐝🐝🐝. Which row has more?
Example 28
mediumYou see 5 balloons. Your friend sees 4 balloons. Who sees more?
Example 29
mediumWhich has more dots? Card A: . Card B: .
Example 30
easyWhat is 1 more than 6?
Example 31
easyWhat is 1 less than 9?
Example 32
easyWhat is 1 more than 9?
Example 33
easyCompare using more, less, or equal: 7 and 4.
Example 34
mediumWhat number is 1 less than 10?
Example 35
hardNoah has 6 stickers. Lily has 1 more than Noah. Emma has 1 less than Lily. How many does Emma have?
Example 36
easyWhat is 10 more than 30?
Example 37
easyWhat is 10 less than 80?
Example 38
easyWhat is 10 more than 56?
Example 39
mediumCompare using , , or : .
Example 40
mediumWhat number is 10 less than 42?
Example 41
easyWhat is 100 more than 246?
Example 42
easyWhat is 100 less than 580?
Example 43
easyWhat is 100 more than 399?
Example 44
mediumCompare using , , or : .
Example 45
mediumOrder from least to greatest: 218, 281, 182.
Related Concepts
Background Knowledge
These ideas may be useful before you work through the harder examples.
counting