Assume you are merging these two subarrays: [3, 5, 7, 9] and [2, 4, 6, 8]. How many comparisons should be performed in order to receive the merged sorted array [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]?
Hint: When merging two sorted arrays, think about how you can efficiently compare elements from both arrays to create the merged sorted array. Visualizing the process using pen and paper can help you understand the steps involved. You may also want to explore the concept of merging in a divide-and-conquer algorithm like merge sort.