Descending Order with Examples and FAQs

What is meant by descending order?

To ‘Descend’ means to go downwards. Similarly, descending order is the pattern where the larger order value appears first and then the second largest and then it continues till the smallest order value. For example,

\text{The numbers given are } 100,150,134,128,112,146\text{.}

\text{These numbers can be written in  descending order as}: 150,146,134,128,112,100 .

Descending Order Symbol

The symbol used to represent a sequence in descending order is “>”. It is used in such a way that the open-end faces towards the larger value. For example, to arrange the numbers 20, 44, 37, 27, 34, 41 in descending order we can represent it as:

44 > 41 > 37 > 34 > 27 > 20.  

Decimals in Descending Order

Decimals can be arranged in descending order by first looking at the whole number part and then to the part after the decimal point. 

For example, if the numbers are 5.8, 10.3, 7.25. Then the arrangement can be done in descending manner easily by looking at the whole numbers and the order will be:

10.3 > 7.25 > 5.8.

If the whole number part is equal then the digit place at the tenth place after the decimal is looked at and if that is also equal then the hundredth-place digit is checked and so on.

For example, if the numbers are 6.30, 6.24, 6.27, 6.54. Then the arrangement can be done as:

6.54 > 6.30 > 6.27 > 6.23.

Descending Order in Fractions

Descending order means arranging a sequence from largest to smallest. Hence we can order fractions also in descending order. For example, if the fractions are \frac{2}{5}, \frac{3}{5}, \frac{1}{5}, \frac{4}{5}. Then the arrangement can be done as \frac{4}{5}>\frac{3}{5}>\frac{2}{5}>\frac{1}{5}.

In this case, the fractions are like. If the given group of fractions is unlike, first convert the fractions to like fractions and then arrange in descending order.

For example, 

\text { If the Unlike fractions are } \frac{2}{3}, \frac{3}{5}, \frac{4}{5}, \frac{1}{3}.

Now the group of unlike fractions, \frac{2}{3}, \frac{3}{5}, \frac{4}{5}, \frac{1}{3} can be written as \frac{10}{15}, \frac{9}{15}, \frac{12}{15}, \frac{5}{15} . Which can be arranged in descending order easily as:

Examples

Example 1: Rohini and her classmates gave a class test of 20 marks on Mathematics. The marks obtained are:

Arrange the marks obtained in the order of descending to check who got the highest of them all.

Solution:

The marks obtained are 18, 15, 20, 14, 19, 16.

Arranging marks in descending manner:

Kavya got 20/20 hence, she got the highest marks.

Example 2: If the heights of 6 students are 122 cm, 115 cm, 110 cm, 120 cm, 113 cm, 119 cm. Then arrange the heights in descending sequence.

Solution:

The heights are 122 cm, 115 cm, 110 cm, 120 cm, 113 cm, 119 cm.

Arranging heights in descending order:

122>120>119>115>113>110

Hence the heights in descending order is:

122 \mathrm{~cm}, 120 \mathrm{~cm}, 119 \mathrm{~cm}, 115 \mathrm{~cm}, 113 \mathrm{~cm}, 110 \mathrm{~cm}.