To factor the quadratic equation \(x^2 + 10x + 16 = 0\), we need to find two numbers that multiply to \(16\) (the constant term) and add up to \(10\) (the coefficient of the linear term \(x\)).
The two numbers that satisfy these conditions are \(2\) and \(8\) because:
- \(2 \times 8 = 16\)
- \(2 + 8 = 10\)
Thus, we can write the factored form of the equation as:
\[ (x + 2)(x + 8) = 0 \]
So, the lesser number is \(2\) and the greater number is \(8\).
Therefore, enter the numbers as follows: 2, 8.