Final answer:
The correct answer to the question is 'comparators', which are operators used to compare values such as equal, not equal, or greater than in queries.
Step-by-step explanation:
Operators used in selection criteria in a query, such as equal, not equal, or greater than, are known as comparators. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is option 2) Comparators. Unlike Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT, which combine search terms to either narrow down or expand the search results, comparators are used to compare values in database queries and other programming contexts. For example, in a database query, using comparators could help you retrieve records where a specific field's value is greater than a certain number. In contrast, Boolean operators would help you combine different criteria or exclude certain records altogether.