What Is Ascending Order? Definition And Examples 

In math or in life we always encounter numbers and letters that sometimes we need to arrange to make it easier to manage, or it is a subject in school.
One of those arrangements is ascending order.

So, what is ascending order? Let’s find out more with us!

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what is ascending order

What is Ascending Order?

Simply put, ascending order is the arrangement of numbers or other things in increasing order from lowest to highest.

Ascending order is shown by the numbers that appear on a number line from left to right. Usual forms include using commas or the “less-than symbol” (<) between figures. For instance, 1<2<3<4<5 or 1,2,3,4,5.

Have you ever found yourself in a scenario where you have a tone of critical folders, files, or papers that may be helpful to you, but you can’t seem to find the right one since there are so many of them?

Well, if you organize them in a specific pattern or sequence, most of these problems can be solved. One method of gathering and presenting data is to arrange items in ascending order.

This increase can take many different forms, including alphabets, weights, heights, and times. 

For example, the alphabet’s letters are subject to the same rules. They are ordered from A to Z or from beginning to finish when they are in ascending order. According to the ascending sequence of dates, the oldest dates appear first and the newest ones come last.

How to arrange numbers in ascending order

  • Determine how many digits each number has. The lowest number is the one with the fewest digits. First, write it. Keep doing this until every number that is left for comparison has the same amount of digits.
  • Start by comparing the numbers starting with the leftmost digit when two numbers have the same amount of digits. Put the lowest digit of the number in writing.
  • Move to the numerals on the right and compare them to if the digits on the left are the same. Make the first digit of the integer smaller.
  • Once we’ve arranged all the numbers, repeat the process with the remaining numbers.

Example: Arrange 33665, 145, 19, 155, 33467 in ascending order.

The number with the fewest digits is 19, which has four. Because it is the lowest number, write it first.

19

Next, the numbers 145 and 155 are each three digits. At the hundredth place, they each have one. Therefore, we shift to the next digit to the right. 231 and 245 are similar. Considering that, 4 < 5, then 145 < 155

19 < 145 < 155

Compare 33665 and 33467 next as they both have 5 digits. Comparing 33665 with 33467, we discover that 4 < 6,  thus, 33467 < 33665

19 < 145 < 155 < 33467 < 33665

Along with arranging integers in ascending order,  we may also arrange various numbers here, including:

  • Negative numbers
  • Fractions
  • Decimals

Read more >> Numbers in Numerical: Definitions, Types & Properties

Negative numbers in ascending order

The students may first find it difficult to arrange negative numbers. Though it will be quite simple for them to arrange the numbers in ascending order after they have grasped the logic.

The lowest value occurs when a larger integer has a negative sign. As an example, 4 is bigger than 1, while -1 is less than 4.

The difference between a two-digit negative number and a one-digit negative number is similar. For example, -98 < -2

-60 < -31 < -10 < -5

Fractions in ascending order

The fractional numbers’ ascending order can be determined using one of two ways. Both ways will result in the same outcome.

Method 1

  • Step 1: Convert the given sequence of fractions into decimal numbers.
  • Step 2: Determine the decimal numbers’ ascending order.
  • Step 3: Lastly, switch out the decimal numbers with their corresponding fractional numbers.

Method 2

  • Step 1: Determine the L.C.M of the denominators.
  • Step 2: Divide the L.C.M value by the fraction’s denominator.
  • Step 3: Add the outcome of step 2 to the numerator and denominator of the fraction.
  • Step 4: After comparing the like fractions in steps 2 and 3, go to step 4.
  • Step 5: Because the denominators of similar fractions are the same, compare their numerator values.
  • Step 6: Lastly, match the fractions’ corresponding fractions from the issue with the fractions in ascending order.

what is ascending order

Decimals in ascending order

Determine which decimal has the fewest whole number parts before arranging the list of decimal numbers. Next, arrange the decimals in ascending order by the portion of the total number.

Decimals should be arranged in ascending order according to the decimal portion after the decimal point if the entire number part is identical for two or more decimals.

1.4 < 2.1 < 3.2 < 3.4 < 3.6 < 4.4

Ascending Order Vs Descending Order

The opposite of ascending order is descending order. That indicates that the procedure is the opposite of writing the numbers in ascending order. As a result, it might be said to be in decreasing order.

In the situation of descending order, the largest valued number is written first and the smallest valued number is written last for a given series of numbers. It is represented by the symbol “>.”

The key differences between ascending order and descending order will be shown in the table below:

Data TypeAscendingDescending
Amounts or NumbersLowest to highest. The list will start off with lower values or sums.Highest to lowest. The list will start off with higher values or sums.
Words or LettersFrom A to ZFrom Z to A
Numbers and LettersSort order is 0-9 first, then A-Z.Sorting is done from Z to A, then 9-0.
DatesDates from the oldest to the recentDates from the most recent to the oldest

FAQs

What exactly does ascending and descending order mean?

While descending order arranges numbers from highest to lowest values, ascending order arranges numbers from smallest to largest values. They are in opposition to one another.

What signs are used to represent ascending and descending numbers?

Numbers are arranged in ascending and descending order using the symbols < (or less than) and > (or greater than).

When ordering fractions, should we look at the numerator or the denominator?

The denominators are used to sort fractions in ascending or descending order when all of their numerators are the same. If the denominators are equal, we look at the numerators. If the numerators and denominators differ, we compare the sizes of the fractions to determine whether they should be sorted in ascending or descending order.

Does ascending order start with the smallest number?

In ascending sequence, the lowest number does indeed come first.

Conclusion

Surely you will find it quite simple to know “what is ascending order“, right? It’s sometimes as simple as when you climb the stairs, you start at a low point and end up much higher than the starting point. However, to be able to teach children in an easy-to-understand way, start practicing today. Happy studying!