Numerical Value

Arabic
1 2 3 5 10 20 21 100
Numeral

Babylonian










< << <<



Egyptian
I II III IIIII Λ ΛΛ IΛΛ ϑ

Unit Hieroglyphic

Greek
Ι ΙΙ ΙΙΙ Γ ∆ ∆∆ ∆∆Ι Η
Herodianic

Roman I II III V X XX XXI C

Ethiopian
1 2 3 5 0 ! !1 )
Geez

THE NUMBER SYSTEM

Unit Outcomes:
After completing this unit, you should be able to:
know basic concepts and important facts about real numbers.
justify methods and procedures in computation with real numbers.
solve mathematical problems involving real numbers.

Main Contents
1.1 Revision on the set of rational numbers
1.2 The real number system
Key Terms
Summary
Review Exercises
Mathematics Grade 9

INTRODUCTION
In earlier grades, you have learnt about rational numbers, their properties, and basic
mathematical operations upon them. After a review of your knowledge about rational
numbers, you will continue studying the number systems in the present unit. Here, you
will learn about irrational numbers and real numbers, their properties and basic
operations upon them. Also, you will discuss some related concepts such as
approximation, accuracy, and scientific notation.

1.1 REVISION ON THE SET OF RATIONAL

NUMBERS

ACTIVITY 1.1
The diagram below shows the relationships between the sets of
Natural numbers, Whole numbers, Integers and Rational numbers.
Use this diagram to answer Questions 1 and 2 given below. Justify
your answers.
1 To which set(s) of numbers does each of the following numbers belong?
2
a 27 b –17 c –7 3
3 4
0.7

d 0.625 e 0.615
1 –3 –11
2 i Define the set of: −
2
a Natural numbers
b Whole numbers
0
c Integers
d Rational numbers 1, 2, 3, . . .
ii What relations do these sets have?
Figure 1.1

1.1.1 Natural Numbers, Integers, Prime

Numbers and Composite Numbers
In this subsection, you will revise important facts about the sets of natural numbers, prime
numbers, composite numbers and integers. You have learnt several facts about these sets
in previous grades, in Grade 7 in particular. Working through Activity 1.2 below will
refresh your memory!

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 Unit 1 The Number System

ACTIVITY 1.2
1 For each of the following statements write 'true' if the statement is
correct or 'false' otherwise. If your answer is 'false', justify by
giving a counter example or reason.
a The set {1, 2, 3, . . .} describes the set of natural numbers.
b The set {1, 2, 3, . . .}⋃{. . . −3, −2, −1} describes the set of integers.
c 57 is a composite number.
d {1} ∩ {Prime numbers} = ∅.
e {Prime numbers}⋃{Composite number} = {1, 2, 3, . . .}.
f {Odd numbers} ∩{Composite numbers} ≠ ∅.
g 48 is a multiple of 12.
h 5 is a factor of 72.
i 621 is divisible by 3.
j {Factors of 24} ∩ {Factors of 87} = {1, 2, 3}.
k {Multiples of 6} ∩ {Multiples of 4} = {12, 24}.
l 2 2 × 3 2 × 5 is the prime factorization of 180.
2 Given two natural numbers a and b, what is meant by:
a a is a factor of b b a is divisible by b c a is a multiple of b
From your lower grade mathematics, recall that;

The set of natural numbers, denoted by N, is described by N = {1, 2, 3,…}

The set of whole numbers, denoted by W, is described by W = {0, 1, 2, 3,…}

The set of integers, denoted by Z, is described by Z = {...,–3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3,...}

Given two natural numbers m and p, m is called a multiple of p if there is a

natural number q such that
m = p × q.
In this case, p is called a factor or divisor of m. We also say m is divisible by p.
Similarly, q is also a factor or divisor of m, and m is divisible by q.

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Mathematics Grade 9

For example, 621 is a multiple of 3 because 621 = 3 × 207.

Definition 1.1 Prime numbers and composite numbers

♦
♦ A natural number that has exactly two distinct factors, namely 1
and itself, is called a prime number.
♦
♦ A natural number that has more than two factors is called a
composite number.

Note: 1 is neither prime nor composite.

Group Work 1.1

1 List all factors of 24. How many factors did you find?
2 The area of a rectangle is 432 sq. units. The measurements
of the length and width of the rectangle are expressed by
natural numbers.
Find all the possible dimensions (length and width) of the rectangle.
3 Find the prime factorization of 360.
The following rules can help you to determine whether a number is divisible by 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.

Divisibility test
A number is divisible by:

2, if its unit’s digit is divisible by 2.

3, if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3.

4, if the number formed by its last two digits is divisible by 4.

5, if its unit’s digit is either 0 or 5.

6, if it is divisible by 2 and 3.

8, if the number formed by its last three digits is divisible by 8.

9, if the sum of its digits is divisible by 9.

10, if its unit’s digit is 0.
Observe that divisibility test for 7 is not stated here as it is beyond the scope of your
present level.
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 Unit 1 The Number System

Example 1 Use the divisibility test to determine whether 2,416 is divisible by 2, 3, 4,

5, 6, 8, 9 and 10.
Solution: ♦ 2, 416 is divisible by 2 because the unit’s digit 6 is divisible by 2.
♦ 2,416 is divisible by 4 because 16 (the number formed by the last two digits)
is divisible by 4.
♦ 2,416 is divisible by 8 because the number formed by the last three digits
(416) is divisible by 8.
♦ 2,416 is not divisible by 5 because the unit’s digit is not 0 or 5.
♦ Similarly you can check that 2,416 is not divisible by 3, 6, 9, and 10.
Therefore, 2,416 is divisible by 2, 4 and 8 but not by 3, 5, 6, 9 and 10.
A factor of a composite number is called a prime factor, if it is a prime number. For
instance, 2 and 5 are both prime factors of 20.
Every composite number can be written as a product of prime numbers. To find the prime
factors of any composite number, begin by expressing the number as a product of two
factors where at least one of the factors is prime. Then, continue to factorize each resulting
composite factor until all the factors are prime numbers.
When a number is expressed as a product of its prime factors, the expression is called the
prime factorization of the number. 60
For example, the prime factorization of 60 is 30
2
2
60 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 5 = 2 × 3 × 5. 15
2
The prime factorization of 60 is also found by 3 5
using a factoring tree.
Note that the set {2, 3, 5} is a set of prime factors of 60. Is this set unique? This
property leads us to state the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic.

Theorem 1.1 Fundamental theorem of arithmetic

Every composite number can be expressed (factorized) as a product of
primes. This factorization is unique, apart from the order in which the
prime factors occur.

You can use the divisibility tests to check whether or not a prime number divides a
given number.

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Mathematics Grade 9

Example 2 Find the prime factorization of 1,530.

Solution: Start dividing 1,530 by its smallest prime factor. If the quotient is a
composite number, find a prime factor of the quotient in the same way.
Repeat the procedure until the quotient is a prime number as shown below.
Prime factors
↓
1,530 ÷ 2 = 765
765 ÷ 3 = 255
255 ÷ 3 = 85
85 ÷ 5 = 17; and 17 is a prime number.
Therefore, 1,530 = 2 × 32 × 5 × 17.

1.1.2 Common Factors and Common Multiples

In this subsection, you will revise the concepts of common factors and common
multiples of two or more natural numbers. Related to this, you will also revise the
greatest common factor and the least common multiple of two or more natural numbers.

A Common factors and the greatest common factor

ACTIVITY 1.3
1 Given the numbers 30 and 45,
a find the common factors of the two numbers.
b find the greatest common factor of the two numbers.
2 Given the numbers 36, 42 and 48,
a find the common factors of the three numbers.
b find the greatest common factor of the three numbers.
Given two or more natural numbers, a number which is a factor of all of them is called a
common factor. Numbers may have more than one common factor. The greatest of the
common factors is called the greatest common factor (GCF) or the highest common
factor (HCF) of the numbers.
 The greatest common factor of two numbers a and b is denoted by GCF (a, b).
Example 1 Find the greatest common factor of:
a 36 and 60. b 32 and 27.

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 Unit 1 The Number System

Solution:
a First, make lists of the factors of 36 and 60, using sets.
Let F36 and F60 be the sets of factors of 36
F36 F60
and 60, respectively. Then, 5
9 1
F36 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36} 10 15
18 2 3 4
F60 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, 60}
6 12 20 30
You can use the diagram to summarize the 36
60
information. Notice that the common factors
are shaded in green. They are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and Figure 1.2
12 and the greatest is 12.
i.e., F36 ∩ F60 = {1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12}
Therefore, GCF (36, 60) = 12. F32 F27
2 3
b Similarly, 4
F32 = {1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32} and 8 1 9
F27 = {1, 3, 9, 27} 16 27
Therefore, F32 ∩ F27 = {1} 32
Thus, GCF (32, 27) = 1 Figure 1.3
 Two or more natural numbers that have a GCF of 1 are called relatively prime.

Definition 1.2
The greatest common factor (GCF) of two or more natural numbers is the
greatest natural number that is a factor of all of the given numbers.

Group Work 1.2

Let a = 1800 and b = 756
1 Write:
a the prime factorization of a and b
b the prime factors that are common to both a and b.
Now look at these common prime factors; the lowest powers of them (in the two
prime factorizations) should be 22 and 32.
c What is the product of these lowest powers?
d Write down the highest powers of the common prime factors.
e What is the product of these highest powers?
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Mathematics Grade 9

2 a Compare the result of 1c with the GCF of the given numbers.

Are they the same?
b Compare the result of 1e with the GCF of the given numbers.
Are they the same?
The above Group Work leads you to another alternative method to find the GCF of
numbers. This method (which is a quicker way to find the GCF) is called the prime
factorization method. In this method, the GCF of a given set of numbers is the
product of their common prime factors, each power to the smallest number of times it
appears in the prime factorization of any of the numbers.
Example 2 Use the prime factorization method to find GCF (180, 216, 540).
Solution:
Step 1 Express the numbers 180, 216 and 540 in their prime factorization.
180 = 22 × 32 × 5; 216 = 23 × 33; 540 = 22 × 33 × 5
Step 2 As you see from the prime factorizations of 180, 216 and 540, the
numbers 2 and 3 are common prime factors.
So, GCF (180, 216, 540) is the product of these common prime factors with the
smallest respective exponents in any of the numbers.
∴ GCF (180, 216, 540) = 22 × 32 = 36.

B Common multiples and the least common multiple

Group Work 1.3

For this group work, you need 2 coloured pencils.
Work with a partner
Try this:
∗ List the natural numbers from 1 to 100 on a sheet of paper.
∗ Cross out all the multiples of 10.
∗ Using a different colour, cross out all the multiples of 8.
Discuss:
1 Which numbers were crossed out by both colours?
2 How would you describe these numbers?
3 What is the least number crossed out by both colours? What do you call this number?

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 Unit 1 The Number System

Definition 1.3
For any two natural numbers a and b, the least common multiple of a
and b denoted by LCM (a, b), is the smallest multiple of both a and b.

Example 3 Find LCM (8, 9).

Solution: Let M8 and M9 be the sets of multiples of 8 and 9 respectively.

{
M8 = 8,1 6, 2 4, 3 2, 4 0, 4 8, 5 6, 6 4, 7 2 , 8 0, 8 8 , ... }
{ }
M9 = 9 ,1 8, 2 7 , 3 6 , 4 5, 5 4 , 6 3, 7 2 , 8 1, 9 0 , ...

Therefore LCM (8, 9) = 72

Prime factorization can also be used to find the LCM of a set of two or more than two
numbers. A common multiple contains all the prime factors of each number in the set.
The LCM is the product of each of these prime factors to the greatest number of times it
appears in the prime factorization of the numbers.
Example 4 Use the prime factorization method to find LCM (9, 21, 24).
Solution:
The prime factors that appear in these
9 = 3 × 3 = 32
factorizations are 2, 3 and 7.
21 = 3 × 7 Considering the greatest number of times
24 = 2 × 2 × 2 ×3 = 23 × 3 each prime factor appears, we can get 23,
32 and 7, respectively.
Therefore, LCM (9, 21, 24) = 23 × 32 × 7 = 504.

ACTIVITY 1.4
1 Find:
a The GCF and LCM of 36 and 48
b GCF (36, 48) × LCM ( 36, 48)
c 36 × 48
2 Discuss and generalize your results.

 For any natural numbers a and b, GCF (a, b) × LCM (a, b) = a × b.

9
Mathematics Grade 9

1.1.3 Rational Numbers

H
HIISSTTO
ORRIIC
CAALL N
NO TEE::
OT

About 5,000 years ago, Egyptians used

hieroglyphics to represent numbers. 
The Egyptian concept of fractions was 1 10 100 1,000
mostly limited to fractions with numerator
1. The hieroglyphic was placed under the
symbol to indicate the number as a
 1 1 1 1 1
denominator. Study the examples of
2 3 10 20 100
Egyptian fractions.
Recall that the set of integers is given by

Z = {…, – 3, – 2, – 1, 0, 1, 2, 3,…}
Using the set of integers, we define the set of rational numbers as follows:

Definition 1.4 Rational number

a
Any number that can be expressed in the form , where a and b are
b
integers and b ≠ 0, is called a rational number. The set of rational
numbers, denoted by Q, is the set described by
a 
Q =  : a and b are integers and b ≠ 0 .
b 

Through the following diagram, you can

show how sets within rational numbers are
related to each other. Note that natural 2
1 2
3
numbers, whole numbers and integers are 2 −7
included in the set of rational numbers. This 1
is because integers such as 4 and −7 can be −8 −9 2
3 −
4 −7 5
written as and .
1 1 0
3
The set of rational numbers also includes 4
3
terminating and repeating decimal numbers
because terminating and repeating decimals
can be written as fractions. 6

Figure 1.4
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 Unit 1 The Number System

For example, −1.3 can be written as − 13 and − 0.29 as − 29 .

10 100
Mixed numbers are also included in the set of rational numbers because any mixed number
30 2 × 3× 5 2
= = . can be written as an improper fraction.
45 3× 3× 5 3
2 8
For example, 2 can be written as .
3 3
When a rational number is expressed as a fraction, it is often expressed in simplest form
a
(lowest terms). A fraction is in simplest form when GCF (a, b) = 1.
b
30
Example 1 Write in simplest form.
45
30 2 × 3× 5 2
Solution: = = . (by factorization and cancellation)
45 3× 3× 5 3
30 2
Hence when expressed in lowest terms (simplest form) is .
45 3

Exercise 1.1
1 Determine whether each of the following numbers is prime or composite:
a 45 b 23 c 91 d 153
2 Prime numbers that differ by two are called twin primes.
i Which of the following pairs are twin primes?
a 3 and 5 b 13 and 17 c 5 and 7
ii List all pairs of twin primes that are less than 30.
3 Determine whether each of the following numbers is divisible by 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9
or 10:
a 48 b 153 c 2,470
d 144 e 12,357
4 a Is 3 a factor of 777? b Is 989 divisible by 9?
c Is 2,348 divisible by 4?
5 Find three different ways to write 84 as a product of two natural numbers.
6 Find the prime factorization of:
a 25 b 36 c 117 d 3,825
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Mathematics Grade 9

7 Is the value of 2a + 3b prime or composite when a = 11 and b = 7?

8 Write all the common factors of 30 and 42.
9 Find:
a GCF (24, 36) b GCF (35, 49, 84)
10 Find the GCF of 2 × 33 × 52 and 23 × 3 × 52.
11 Write three numbers that have a GCF of 7.
12 List the first six multiples of each of the following numbers:
a 7 b 5 c 14 d 25 e 150
13 Find:
a LCM (12, 16) b LCM (10, 12, 14)
c LCM (15, 18) d LCM (7, 10)
14 When will the LCM of two numbers be the product of the numbers?
15 Write each of the following fractions in simplest form:
3 24 48 72
a − b c d
9 120 72 98
16 How many factors does each of the following numbers have?
a 12 b 18 c 24 d 72
17 Find the value of an odd natural number x if LCM (x, 40) = 1400.
18 There are between 50 and 60 eggs in a basket. When Mohammed counts by 3’s,
there are 2 eggs left over. When he counts by 5’s there are 4 left over. How many
eggs are there in the basket?
19 The GCF of two numbers is 3 and the LCM is 180. If one of the numbers is 45,
what is the other number?
20 i Let a, b, c, d be non-zero integers. Show that each of the following is a
rational number:
a c a c a c a c
a + b − c × d ÷
b d b d b d b d
What do you conclude from these results?
1 3
ii Find two rational numbers between and .
3 4

12