To determine which operator (if any) can be inserted to make the statement true, we need to evaluate both sides of the expression.
Let's simplify the left side:
Left side: \[ 8 - 18 \cdot 12 - 1 \]
We perform the multiplication first: \[ 18 \cdot 12 = 216 \] Now substituting that back: \[ 8 - 216 - 1 = 8 - 216 - 1 = 8 - 217 = -209 \]
Now let's evaluate the right side:
Right side: \[ 9 + 4 - 11 \cdot 2 \]
We perform the multiplication first again: \[ 11 \cdot 2 = 22 \] Now substituting that back: \[ 9 + 4 - 22 = 9 + 4 - 22 = 13 - 22 = -9 \]
Now we compare both sides: Left side: \(-209\) Right side: \(-9\)
Now let's compare:
-209 is less than -9, so we can use the operator <
.
Thus, the correct operator to insert is:
<