Final answer:
The correct inequality to compare the temperatures is -5°C < 5°C, indicating that -5 degrees Celsius is colder than 5 degrees Celsius. Temperature is a scalar quantity because it has only magnitude and no directional component.
Step-by-step explanation:
The inequality that correctly compares the temperatures on Tuesday, which was -5 degrees Celsius, and Wednesday, which was 5 degrees Celsius is -5°C < 5°C. This inequality states that the temperature on Tuesday was lower than the temperature on Wednesday. To understand this, we should recognize that Celsius is a temperature scale where a larger number represents a warmer temperature, and a smaller number, which can be negative, represents a colder temperature. Negative numbers are always less than positive numbers on this scale, so -5°C is indeed less than 5°C.
Regarding the question about whether temperature is a vector or a scalar quantity, temperature is a scalar quantity. This is because scalars have magnitude only and do not have direction, which is the case with temperature. It only tells us the hotness or coldness of an object or the environment, not in which direction the temperature change occurs. Therefore, the predicted temperature of -5°C is a scalar.