To solve the equation \( x^2 = \frac{16}{25} \) by inspection, we need to find numbers whose squares equal \( \frac{16}{25} \).
We can start by taking the square root of both sides:
\[ x = \pm \sqrt{\frac{16}{25}} \]
Now, we can simplify the square root:
\[ \sqrt{\frac{16}{25}} = \frac{\sqrt{16}}{\sqrt{25}} = \frac{4}{5} \]
Thus, we have two solutions:
- \( x = \frac{4}{5} \)
- \( x = -\frac{4}{5} \)
The lesser number is \( -\frac{4}{5} \). Therefore, the two real solutions are:
\[ -\frac{4}{5}, \quad \frac{4}{5} \]