Chapter 9 · Questions · page 68 of 68
What do at least and at most mean in an inequality?
Short answerAt least means greater than or equal to, so at least 18 is x ≥ 18. At most means less than or equal to, so at most 40 is x ≤ 40.
levelAlgebra 1
standard6.EE.B.8
practiceInequalities
Word problems hide the sign in phrases. "At least", "no less than" and "minimum" mean ≥. "At most", "no more than" and "maximum" mean ≤. "More than" and "less than" are strict, so the number itself does not count.
How to use it
- Find the phrase that sets the limit.
- At least or minimum: ≥. At most or maximum: ≤.
- More than: >. Less than or fewer than: <.
- Write the variable first so the sign reads left to right.
Example
Where it goes wrong
- Reading "at least" as ≤ because the word "least" sounds small.
- Using a strict sign for "no more than", which leaves out the limit itself.