Final answer:
The statement '-30 < -5' indicates that negative 30 is less than negative 5, with the comparison being done on a number line where numbers to the left are smaller than those to the right.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement -30 < -5 means that negative 30 is less than negative 5. To understand this, we can consider a number line where numbers to the left are smaller (or less than) numbers to the right. Negative numbers are to the left of zero, so among negative numbers, the one with the larger absolute value is actually the smaller number. For example, -30 is to the left of -5 on the number line, so it is less than -5.
This is similar to when we compare positive numbers, where we know that 5 is greater than 4 because 5 is to the right of 4 on the number line. Just as we would say 45 centimeters (cm) is less than 500 millimeters (mm), which is noted as 45 cm < 500 mm because 500 mm has a greater value, the same concept applies to negative numbers where a greater negative number is actually smaller in value.