(40) How many possible solutions are there to the inequality \( x \leq 5 \) ?

The inequality \( x \leq 5 \) has infinitely many solutions. Any number less than or equal to 5, including whole numbers, fractions, and decimals, satisfies this inequality. So, you can think of all the numbers on the number line to the left of 5, along with 5 itself, creating a never-ending list of values! In real-world terms, imagine if \( x \) represents the amount of money someone can spend at a shop; if the store has a spending limit of $5, then a shopper could choose to spend $0, $1, $2, $3, $4, or any other amount up to $5, resulting in a multitude of spending options!