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MATH VOCABULARY FOR BASIC CALCULATIONS
+ plus Example: 2 + 2
Two plus two
add, addition to join two o more numbers (or
quantities) to get one number (called the
sum or total)
addend addend sum
3 + 7 = 10
-
minus Example:
6 - 4
Six minus four
Subtraction,
subtract
to take one quantity away from another
minuend subtrahend difference
10 - 3 = 7
There are several ways of expressing subtraction:
Ten deduct three = seven
Ten subtract three = seven
Ten take away three = seven
Ten minus three = seven
Ten less three = seven
or ... the difference between ten and three.
They all mean the same thing: 10 – 3 = 7
x or * or · times Example:
5 x 3 or 5 * 3 or 5 · 3
Five times three
multiplication
(to multiply)
a mathematical operation where a
number is added to itself a number of
times
multiplicand multiplier product
7 · 3 = 21
seven times three is twenty-one
(or seven multiplied by three is/makes
twenty-one)
/ or ÷ or : divided by Example: 4 / 2 or 4 ÷ 2 or 4 : 2
four divided by two
division (to divide) sharing o grouping a number into
equal parts
dividend divisor quotient
20 : 2 = 10
remainder: amount left over after dividing a number.
9 4
1 2
⇓
r: remainder left over
divisible: can be divided without a remainder.
e.g. 20 is divisible by 2 and 10
factor (divisor): a number that divides exactly into another
number.
e.g. 2 and 10 are factors of 20
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= equals (is equal to) Example: 2 + 2 = 4
Two plus two equals four
(or two plus two is equal to
four)
≠ is not equal to Example: 12 ≠ 15
Twelve is not equal to
fifteen
< is less than Example:
7 < 10
Seven is less than ten
> is greater than Example: 12 > 8
Twelve is greater than eight
≤ is less than or equal to Example: 4 + 1 ≤ 6
Four plus one is less than or
equal to six
≥ is greater than or equal to Example: 5 + 7 ≥ 10
Five plus seven is greater
than or equal to ten
set collection of items
symbol: { }
members of a set are called elements
{ 2, 4, 6, 8} There are 4 elements in this set
Venn diagram
a diagram using circles or other shapes to
show the relationship between sets
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Real numbers may be classified as:
natural numbers counting numbers from one to infinity
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ...
whole numbers counting numbers from zero to infinity
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, ...
integers positive numbers and negative numbers and
zero, but not fractions or decimals
..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...
rationals integers, fractions, terminating and
repeating decimals
..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...
1
4 , 0.5, = 0.142857142857... 17 , ...
irrationals non-terminating and non-repeating decimals
π = 3.14159295359... , 2 1.414213... = ,
2.010010001... , ...
fraction any part of a group, number or whole
Example: 34 numerator denominator
1
2 one half Example: 1 1 1 =1+
2 2
One and one half
1
3 one third Example: 1 1 3 = 3+
3 3
Three and one third
1
4 one quarter Example: 1 1 2 =2+
4 4
Two and one quarter
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9 ,
2
3 ,
5
6
five ninths, two thirds,
five sixths
(Read the top number as a
cardinal number, followed by
the ordinal number + ‘s’ )
Example:
2 2 4 = 4 +
3 3
Four and two thirds
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30 five over thirty
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