Final answer:
Among the given options, c) -5 < -3 and d) -4 < -2 are both true inequalities since a lower negative number is greater than a higher negative number. However, c) -5 < -3 is the true inequality that is most relevant to the question asked.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking to identify which inequality is true from the given options. To answer this, we need to understand the properties of inequalities with respect to the order of real numbers. In this case, comparing negative numbers is like comparing positive numbers but in reverse. The farther a negative number is from zero, the smaller its value.
Now, let's analyze the provided options:
- a) 5 < -3 is false because 5 is greater than -3.
- b) 12 < -4 is false because 12 is greater than -4.
- c) -5 < -3 is true because -5 is closer to zero than -3, making -5 greater than -3 on the number line.
- d) -4 < -2 is also true because -4 is closer to zero than -2, making -4 greater than -2 on the number line.
Therefore, both c) -5 < -3 and d) -4 < -2 are true inequalities. However, if we had to choose the most appropriate according to the student's question, the correct option would be c) -5 < -3 as it properly satisfies the inequality condition of which was the original question.