Let's evaluate both sides of the expression:
On the left side: \[ -6 + 3 \cdot 5 \] Calculating, we have: \[ 3 \cdot 5 = 15 \] So, \[ -6 + 15 = 9 \]
Now, let's evaluate the right side: \[ 16 - \sqrt{16} + 32 \div 8 \] Calculating the square root and division: \[ \sqrt{16} = 4 \] \[ 32 \div 8 = 4 \] Now substitute these values back into the expression: \[ 16 - 4 + 4 = 16 \]
Now we have the two sides:
- Left side: 9
- Right side: 16
Now we can insert the appropriate operator. Since \( 9 < 16 \), the correct operator to insert is:
< (less than)
So, the final answer is: \[ < , \text{(less than)} \]