Compare Metric Units: 5 Meters vs 0.1 Kilometers Length Analysis

To determine which measurement is larger, we need to convert the units so they are comparable.

Step 1: Convert kilometers to meters
We know that 1 kilometer is equivalent to 1000 meters. Hence, to convert 0.1 kilometers to meters, we perform the following calculation:
$0.1 \text{ km} \times 1000 \text{ meters/km} = 100 \text{ meters}$

Step 2: Compare the measurements
We are now comparing 5 meters with 100 meters, as both are in the same unit of measurement.

• 5 meters
• 100 meters

Since 5 meters $<$ 100 meters, the comparison shows that the measurement of 5 meters is smaller than 0.1 kilometers.

Thus, the correct answer is: $<$.