Whole numbers | Lesson 1

Whole numbers are from 0 to infinite, as numbers can go on forever. It doesn't have a set place
where they end.

Today, we use 10 standard symbols to represent numbers. These symbols are 1, 2, 3, 4,

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0. These symbols are called Arabic numerals, because they were first
used by the Arabs long ago. By the fifteenth century, Arabic numerals began to look like
the numbers we use today, but it wasn’t until the sixteenth century that they became
exactly the same.

Note that the word numeral refers to the symbol for any number, large or small, such as 23 or
1,264. The word digit refers to the single numerals 0 through 9.

Every number in the world can be expressed by a combination of these 10 digits.

What makes same digit numbers different? Place value and position.

The digit zero is sometimes used as a placeholder, when the value of one or more positions isn’t
used. For example, the numeral 107 has 7 ones and 1 hundred, but no tens.
Commas in large numbers help you to read them more easily.

The rule is: If a number is greater than another number, it’s always to the right of
that number on the number line. The rule is: If a number is less than another
number, it’s always to the left of that number on the number line.

Mathematics uses four symbols to compare numbers:

= ( means equal ) ≠ (means is not equal)

> ( is greater than ) < ( is less than )

To round a whole number, follow these four steps:

1. Find the digit you want to round to. It will help if you circle this digit.
2. Look at the digit immediately to the right of the circled digit.
3. If the digit to the right is 5 or more, then round up by increasing the circled digit by 1. If
the digit to the right is less than 5, round down—don't change the circled digit.
4. Change all the digits to the right of the circled digit to zeroes.
1.2 Adding whole numbers.

There are four basic operations that may be done with whole numbers. These operations are
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

What is addition? It’s a process in which whole numbers are combined together. The numbers
being added are called the addends. The result of adding the numbers is called the sum.

To add two digits together, you can use one of two methods. First, you can use the number line.
The second way to add single digits is to thoroughly familiarize yourself with the basic addition
table.

Whenever you’re adding whole numbers, you should keep three simple rules in mind:

Rule 1: The sum of two whole numbers is always another whole number.

Rule 2: The order in which you add two whole numbers doesn’t change the sum. No matter how
you switch the numbers around, the sum will always be the same.

Rule 3: The sum of zero and a whole number is always that same whole number.

To add numbers that have more than one digit (the numerals 10 or greater), you should begin
by lining up the numbers in vertical columns, with the ones digits lined up on the right. Then,
draw a horizontal line under the column of numbers you’ll be adding.

While word problems can seem hard at first, they’re much easier to approach if you follow these
steps:

1. Read the problem carefully.

2. Decide what the problem is asking. If you find it helpful, draw a picture to illustrate the
problem. Focus only on the information you need to solve the problem.
3. Choose the operation.
4. Solve the problem.
5. Check to be sure your answer is reasonable and logical.
 1.3 Subtracting whole numbers.

Subtraction is the process of “taking away” one number from another.

The number that you take away from is called the minuend. The minuend is the greater of the
two numbers. The number you take away is called the subtrahend. The subtrahend is the
smaller of the two numbers. The result of subtraction is called the difference.

There are two ways to subtract single digits. The first method of subtraction involves the
number line. In subtraction, the rule about zeroes is the same as in addition. Whenever
you subtract zero from a number, you’ll always get that same number.

To subtract numbers with more than one digit, it’s easiest to line up the numerals in vertical
columns, just as you did in addition problems. The number you’re subtracting (the subtrahend)
goes on the bottom.

Sometimes, when you’re subtracting in a column, the digit in the subtrahend is larger than the
digit in the minuend. In this case, you’ll need to borrow.

Fractions | Lesson 2
A fraction is a part of a whole thing that’s been broken into pieces. For example, if you break a
16-ounce chocolate bar into two equal parts, each part is a fraction of the whole bar.
Fractions have three common uses in everyday mathematics.

Use 1: Fractions can stand for part of one whole thing.

Use 2: Fractions can stand for part of a group.
Use 3: Fractions can show division.

Example of Use 1: At a restaurant, a waiter divides a cheesecake into eight equal pieces. By the
end of the evening, five of the pieces have been sold. What part of the cheesecake was sold?

Answer: 5⁄8 of the cheesecake was sold. 5⁄8 stands for the part of one whole cheesecake that
was sold.

A fraction is always written as two numerals separated by a dividing line.

The number above the line is called the numerator. The number below
the line is called the denominator.
Sometimes, you may be trying to read a fraction with very large numbers in it, such as 95⁄167.
Instead of reading “ninety-five one hundred sixty-sevenths,” it’s usually easier and clearer to
read “ninety-five over one hundred sixty-seven.”

When you’re using fractions to show part of a whole thing, the denominator of the
fraction will tell you how many pieces the whole quantity was broken into. The numerator
of the fraction will tell you how many pieces of the whole quantity you have. For
example, if you have 3/8 of a pizza, the denominator (8) tells you that the pizza was cut
into eight pieces, and the numerator (3) tells you that you have three of those eight
pieces of pizza.

Any fraction with zero in the numerator simply equals zero. If the numerator of the fraction is
the same as the denominator, then the fraction equals 1

The third common use of fractions is to show division. This makes sense, since when you break
or cut something into pieces, you’re dividing it. In this situation, the line between the numerator
and denominator of a fraction can be read “divided by.” For example, look at the fraction 4⁄4. If
you have 4⁄4 of a cake, you have all of the pieces the cake was divided into, or one whole cake.
By reading this fraction as “four divided by four,” you also get 1, since 4 ÷ 4 = 1.

The number line can contain fractions as well as whole numbers.

As you move to the left on the number line, the fractions get smaller, the same as whole
numbers do. As you move to the right, the fractions get larger. The number line can help you
picture the values of simple fractions, like ½, ⅓, and ¼. However, when you’re trying to compare
more difficult fractions, such as 17⁄23 and 49⁄92, keep the following rules in mind:

Rule 1: If the denominators of two fractions are the same, the numerators will tell you which
fraction is larger. The larger the numerator, the larger the fraction.

Rule 2: If the numerators of two fractions are the same, the denominators will tell you which
fraction is larger. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction.

If the numerator of a fraction is less than its denominator, then the fraction is less than 1.
Any fraction that has a numerator that’s smaller than the denominator is called a proper
fraction. Any fraction that has a numerator equal to or greater than its denominator is
called an improper fraction.
Very often, improper fractions are written as mixed numbers. A mixed number is a whole
number plus a proper fraction, written side by side.

The improper fraction 8⁄6 can also be written as 1 plus 2⁄6, or, in a shorter form, 12⁄6.

To change an improper fraction to a mixed number, follow these steps.

Step 1: Divide the denominator into the numerator of the fraction. The quotient is the whole
number part of your answer.

Step 2: The remainder is the numerator of the fraction part of your answer.

Step 3: The divisor is the denominator of the fraction part of your answer.

Change a mixed number to an improper fraction by multiplying. This makes sense, since
multiplication is the inverse, or opposite, operation of division.

To change a mixed number to an improper fraction, follow these three steps.

Step 1: Multiply the whole number part of the mixed number by the denominator of the fraction
part.

Step 2: Add the product to the numerator of the fraction part.

Step 3: Write the sum obtained in Step 2 over the denominator of the fraction part.

2.2 Equal fractions

Sometimes two fractions can have different numerators and denominators, but still be the same.
Two fractions that name the same amount are called equal or equivalent fractions

You already know that any whole number multiplied by 1 equals that same whole number. The
same rule applies to fractions.
You also know that any number divided by itself equals 1. Because of this rule, the number 1
can be expressed by many different fractions.

Based on these rules, you can change any fraction into an equal fraction by multiplying both the
numerator and denominator of the fraction by the same number (except zero). It doesn’t matter
what number you choose, as long as you multiply both the numerator and denominator by the
same number.

When you multiply the numerator and denominator of a fraction by the same number, you’re
actually multiplying the entire fraction by 1.
 Multiples are any numbers that the given number will divide into evenly. Least common multiple (LCM) is
the smallest whole number that is a product of both numbers. Equal fractions are two fractions that name
the same amount; also called equivalent fractions. Cross multiplication is when multiplying the diagonally
opposite numerators and denominators in two fractions. Simplifying is the process of changing fractions
to their lowest or simplest form; also called reducing. Least common denominator (LCD) is the smallest
number that both denominators will divide into evenly.

2.3 Adding and subtracting fractions

To add like fractions, follow these three steps.

- Step 1: Add the numerators. The sum is the numerator of your answer. The
denominator remains the same.
- Step 2: If the answer is an improper fraction, change it to a mixed number.
- Step 3: Reduce the fraction part of your answer to its simplest form.

When you need to subtract like fractions, follow these three steps.

- Step 1: Subtract the numbers in the numerators. The difference is the numerator
of your answer. The denominator remains the same.
- Step 2: If the answer is an improper fraction, change it to a mixed number.
- Step 3: Reduce the fraction part of your answer to its simplest form.

To add or subtract unlike fractions, you’ll follow the same process as with like
fractions, but you’ll add one additional step. Before you can add or subtract the
fractions, you’ll need to change them to equal fractions with the same denominator.

- Step 1: Find the least common denominator (LCD).

- Step 2: Change the unlike fractions to equal fractions with the LCD as the
denominator.
- Step 3: Add or subtract the like fractions as you did before. The sum or
difference is the numerator of your answer; the denominator is the LCD.
- Step 4: Reduce the final answer if necessary.
To add or subtract mixed numbers with like fraction parts, follow these steps.

- Step 1: Add or subtract the like fraction parts.

- Step 2: Add or subtract the whole number parts.
- Step 3: Reduce your answer to lowest terms.

To add or subtract mixed numbers with unlike fraction parts, follow these steps.

- Step 1: Find the LCD, and change the unlike fractions to equal fractions with the
LCD as the denominator.
- Step 2: Add or subtract the fraction parts.
- Step 3: Add or subtract the whole numbers.
- Step 4: Reduce your answer, if necessary.

To subtract a fraction or a mixed number from a whole number, you’ll first need to convert
the whole number to a mixed number. The fraction part of the mixed number should have the
same denominator as the fraction you’re subtracting.

What happens when

you’re trying to subtract
mixed numbers, and the
numerator you’re
subtracting from is too
small? In this case,
you’ll need to “borrow,”
just as you did earlier in
this course when you
subtracted whole
numbers. In the
following example
problems, you’ll be
borrowing from the
whole number part of
the mixed number .→
Like fractions are fractions that have the same denominator. Unlike fractions that don’t have the
same denominator. .

2.4 Multiplying and dividing fractions

To multiply one fraction times another, follow these three steps:

- Step 1: Multiply the numerators, and make the product the numerator of the answer.
- Step 2: Multiply the denominators, and make the product the denominator of the answer.
- Step 3: Simplify the result, if necessary.

To multiply fractions by whole numbers or mixed numbers, follow these two steps.

- Step 1: Change each mixed number or whole number to an equal improper fraction.
- Step 2: Set up your problem as before, lining up the numerators and the denominators,
then multiply.

Remember, to change a mixed number to an improper fraction, (1) multiply the denominator of
the fraction part times the whole number part; (2) add the numerator of the fraction part; and (3)
write this sum over the original denominator.

The quickest and easiest way to change a whole number into an equal fraction is to simply
make the whole number the numerator of the fraction, and make 1 the denominator. For
example, the number 2 becomes 2⁄1; the number 63 becomes 63⁄1.

Here’s a handy tip for solving word problems involving the multiplication of fractions. The clue
word in these problems is often “of.” In problems using fractions, the word of usually means that
you’ll need to multiply.

To divide one fraction by another, you’ll first need to understand the meaning of a reciprocal. A
reciprocal is simply a fraction turned upside down. For example, the reciprocal of 4⁄5 is 5⁄4, the
reciprocal of 2⁄3 is 3⁄2, and the reciprocal of 10⁄13 is 13⁄10. To find the reciprocal of a whole number or a
mixed number, first convert the number to an improper fraction, then turn the fraction upside
down.
 - Rule 1: Zero is the only number that doesn’t have a reciprocal, because it’s impossible
to divide any number by 0. So, zero can’t appear in the denominator of a fraction.
- Rule 2: If you multiply any number by its reciprocal, you’ll always get 1.

To divide one fraction by another, follow these steps.

- Step 1: Set up your division problem.

- Step 2: Change the divisor into its reciprocal, and change the division sign to a
multiplication sign.
- Step 3: Multiply the two fractions together.

If you need to solve division problems containing whole numbers and mixed
numbers, follow these steps.

- Step 1: Change the whole numbers or mixed numbers into equal improper fractions.
- Step 2: Set up the division problem.
- Step 3: Change the divisor into its reciprocal, and change the division sign to a
multiplication sign.
- Step 4: Multiply the fractions together.

Reciprocal is a fraction turned upside down; the denominator becomes the numerator and the
numerator becomes the denominator. Common factor is a number that divides evenly into two
or more given numbers.

Cross multiplication is a good way to quickly determine whether two fractions are equal.

Dividing fractions you can cross multiply ex: 3/14 / 2/7 = ? (3x7=21, 14x2=28 so 21/28 simplified ¾ )
Decimals| Lesson 3
A decimal is another way of writing a number that’s less than 1. In other words, a
decimal is another way of writing a proper fraction. A decimal point (.) indicates the
beginning of a decimal.

Each place value in a whole number represents a quantity that’s ten times greater than
the place value to its right. Decimals, too, have place values.