▪

Chapter 1 : The number system

The Number System and Language

Our modern number system is based

largely on the Babylonian number system
and the Mayan number system. The Mayans
and Babylonians were two of the most
advanced civilizations of the ancient
world. The calendar and calculations in
astronomy were regarded very important to
the ritual life of the Mayan priestly class,
and the Mayan people. In fact, much of
what we know about this culture comes
from their calendar records and astronomy
data.

• There were only three symbols used

in this system

• a horizontal bar represented the

quantity 5,

• a dot represented the quantity 1,

• and a special symbol (like a shell)

represented zero.

The Mayan system may have been the first

to make use of zero as a
placeholder/number.
 REAL NUMBER
SYSTEM

RATIONAL NUMBERS IRRARTIONAL NUMBER SYSTEM

Can be expressed as the ratio of two Cannot be expressed as a ratio of two

integers integers.
𝑎 Decimal numbers are non-terminating.
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏 ≠ 0
𝑏 Decimal numbers are non repeating.
Decimal numbers are terminating 𝜋, 2, 0.489 563 923
Decimal numbers have repeating pattern
of digits 2
, 1.75, -1.42, 0.5
3

INTEGERS

Whole numbers and their opposites

−2, −1, 0 , 1, 2

WHOLE NUMBERS

Positive integers and zero

0, 1 , 2 , 3 , …

NATURAL NUMBERS

Positive integers
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …
 ▪ Integers
Integers are positive and negative whole numbers including zero.
These numbers arose in order to provide meaning to subtraction [inverse of addition] of any
two natural numbers. So

4 − 7 = −3 ,
2 − 6 = −4 ,
5−5 = 0 etc.
Examples
Integers: 23 , 0 , − 45 , 1 254 , 595 645 , 1 , -1
1 2
Not an integers: 0.3 , −6.1 , 2
, 13 3 , −1001.3 , √5 , 𝜋

▪ Highest Common Factor (HCF) and Lowest Common Multiple (LCM)

The highest common factor or HCF of two or more numbers is the highest number which
divides exactly the given numbers.

Let us consider two numbers 18 and 38.

Factor of 18 are → 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 18

Factor of 48 are → 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24

We see that the highest common factor of 18 and 48 is 6. In short, the Highest Common Factor
is expressed as H.C.F.

1. H.C.F. by factorization method

Let us consider some examples.

I. Find the H.C.F. of 36 and 45.

Factor of 36 are →

1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36 1 × 36, 2 × 18, 3 × 12, 4 × 9, 6 × 6

Factor of 45 are → 1 × 45, 3 × 15, 5 × 9

1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 45

The common factors of 36 and 45 are 1, 3, 9.

The highest common factor is 9.

II. Find the HCF of 12, 48 and 72.

Let us first list all the factors of each number.

Factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12

Factors of 48 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24 and 48

Factors of 72 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 72

The common factors of 12, 48 and 7 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.

The highest common factor is 12.

▪ H.C.F. by prime factorization method

Let us consider an example.

Find the H.C.F. of 24, 36 and 48.

First we find the prime factors of 24, 36 and 48.

24 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 3

36 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3

48 = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 3

The common prime factors = 2, 2, 3

H.C.F. = 2 × 2 × 3 = 12

Example

Find the HCF of 28 and 36 by short division method.

Solution:

First we need to write the number in a row separated by commas,

Then divide the numbers by common prime factors.

Factorisation stops when we reach prime numbers which cannot be further divided.

HCF is the product of all the common factors.

54 88
Hence, the common factors are 2, 2.

HCF of 28 and 36 = 2 × 2 = 4.

▪ Prime numbers
Prime numbers are whole numbers greater than 1, that have only two factors – 1 and the
number itself.
Prime numbers are divisible only by the number 1 or itself.

For example, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11 are the first few prime numbers.

Fun facts !

• 1 is neither a prime number nor a composite number.

• The only even prime number is 2.

• No prime number greater than 5 ends in a 5

Composite numbers can be arranged into rectangles, but prime numbers cannot.

▪ Significant figures

Significant figures are the digits of a number that are meaningful in terms of accuracy or
precision.

• Any non-zero digit

• Zeros between non-zero digits as in 4006 or 29.30007
• Trailing zeros only when there is a decimal point as in 6750. or 274.3300

1. Non-zero digits are always significant

2. Zeros between non-zero digits are always significant
3. Leading zeros are never significant
4. Trailing zeros are only significant if the number contains a decimal point

Find Significant Figures

How many significant figures Which figures are significant

▪ Squares and cubes

What are squares and cubes?
A square number is a number multiplied by itself.
0 × 0 = 02 = 0
1 × 1 = 12 = 1
2 × 2 = 22 = 4
3 × 3 = 32 = 9
4 × 4 = 42 = 16

The square numbers up to 100 are:

0, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81 and 100.

A cube number is a number multiplied by itself 3 times.

0 × 0 × 0 = 03 = 0
1 × 1 × 1 = 13 = 1
2 × 2 × 2 = 23 = 8
3 × 3 × 3 = 33 = 27
4 × 4 × 4 = 43 = 64

The cube numbers up to 100 are:

1, 8, 27 and 64.

Exercise

a. Evaluate and simplify the following expressions where possible

1. 22 + 32

2. 22 − 32

3. 23 − 32

4. 42 + 62

2. 52 − 22

3. 33 − 3 × 3 × 3

3. 53 − 72

1. 62 + 12

2. 102 − 92 + 43

3. 103 − 112 + 33

b. Evaluate and simplify the following expressions where possible

 32
1. 3
+ 32

32
2. 3
− 32

2
33 32
3. 31
− 32

112 100
4. 102
− 121

23 332
5. 52 − 32
+ 33

33 23
6. 33 +
31 32

7. 53 − 42

8. 62 + 12

9. 102 − 92

10. 103 − 112

▪ Standard form

It is easier to represent very small or very large numbers in standard form.

The mass of an electron is 0.000000000000000000000000167 g.

This can be written in standard form as 1.6726219 × 10-24 grams.

This means that there are 24 zeros before 167 (negative exponent).

An electron is even smaller with 28 zeros before the first non-zero digit. An electron is a tiny
particle with a mass of 9.108 × 10−28 g.

Example

Write the following numbers in standard form;

(a) 4000 = 4 × 1000 = 4 × 103

(b) 34 000 = 3.4 × 10000 = 3.4 × 104

1
(c) 0.000006 = 6 × 1000000 = 6 × 10−6

Exercise

Write the following numbers in standard form;

a. 200

b. 300000

c. 90

d. 6 523

e. 52 000 000

f. 0.001

g. 0.0000000000000068

h. 7 620 000 000

i. 16 million

j. 250 billion

k. the population of China is estimated to be 1 400 000 000. Write this population
in standard form.

l. Express the weight of hydrogen,

0.000 000 000 000 000 000 000 001 67 in standard form.

m. Express the Avogadro’s constant,

602 300 000 000 000 000 000 000 in standard form.

n. the speed of light is 300 000km/s. express the speed of light in cm/s.

Example

Calculate; 180 000 × 5 000

180 000 × 5 000 = (1.8 × 105 ) × (5 × 103 )

9 × 108

Exercise

Give your answer in standard form;

a. 150 × 6 000 000

b. 4 000 × 6 000

c. 150 000 × 2 000 000

d. 150 × 0.00 000 4

e. 8 100 × 0.00 003

f. 270 000 ÷ 0, 000 3

g. 0.00 07 ÷ 0.035

h. 0.00 0592 ÷ 0.08

i. (0.008)2

j. (0.00 003)3

▪ Addition and subtraction of fractions

a. Add the following fractions
Addition - Method 1
Make the denominators to be the same;
1 3 2 12 2
+ + Multiply the 1st fraction by 2
4 2 8 8
4
14 Multiply the 1st fraction by 4
=
8
Add the numerators and set them over the common
7 denominator
=
4
Write the fraction in simplest form

3 4 18 20 Multiply the 1st fraction by

6
+ = + 6
5 6 30 30
5
38 Multiply the 1st fraction by 5
=
30
Add the numerators and set them over the common
15 denominator
=
19
Write the fraction in simplest form
6 5 11 The denominators are already the same, subtract the
+ = numerators
4 4 4
Addition - Method 2
Cross-multiply and multiply denominators.
1 3 1×2+4×3 Cross-multiply
+ Divide by the product of the denominators
4 2 4×2
2 + 12
=
8
14
= Write in simplest fraction
8
7
=
4

3 4 3×6+5×4 Cross-multiply
+ = Divide by the product of the denominators
5 6 30
18 + 20
=
30
38
= Write in simplest fraction
30
15
=
19

6 5 11 The denominators are already the same, just add

+ = the numerators
4 4 4

b. Subtract the following fractions

Subtraction - Method 1
13 3 13 6 2
− − Multiply the 2nd fraction by
2
4 2 4 4
7 Subtract the numerators and set them over the common
= denominator
4
Write the fraction in simplest form if necessary

3 4 18 16 6
− = − Multiply the 1st fraction by
6
4 6 24 24
4
2 Multiply the 2st fraction by 4
=
24
Add the numerators and set them over the common
1 denominator
=
12
 Write the fraction in simplest form
3 5 18 10 6
− = − Multiply the 1st fraction by
6
2 6 12 12
2
8 Multiply the 2st fraction by
2
=
12
Add the numerators and set them over the common
2 denominator
=
3
Write the fraction in simplest form

Subtraction - Method 2
13 3 13 × 2 − 4 × 3 Cross-multiply
− Divide by the product of the denominators
4 2 8
26 − 12
=
8
14
= Write in simplest fraction
8
7
=
4

3 4 18 − 16 Cross-multiply
− = Divide by the product of the denominators
4 6 24
2
=
24
1
= Write in simplest fraction
12

3 5 18 − 10 Cross-multiply
− = Divide by the product of the denominators
2 6 12
8
=
12
2
= Write in simplest fraction
3

Exercise

a. Use method 1 to add the following fractions.

3 2
1. +
4 5
 1 2
2. 4
+3

3 6
3. +
2 5

7 1
4. 4
+2

16 3
5. 4
+2

8 3
6. 3
+2

6 5
7. 4
+6

6 5
8. 4
+2

4 5
9. +
3 4

9 3
10. 4 + 5

b. Use method 1 to subtract the following fractions.

3 2
1. −
4 5

5 3
2. −
4 4

3 2
3. −
5 7

7 1
4. −
4 2

16 3
5 −
3 2
 8 5
6. −
3 3

6 5
7. −
4 3

6 5
8. −
5 4

2 3
9. −
4 4

16 1
10. −
48 3

c. Use method 2 to add the fractions above. Compare your answers with the first method
above.