Mathematics involves symbolic letters called numerals or numbers. Each one number is called a digit. 123 is a three digit number as it has three numerals representing digits. Each digit has it’s own name and column. In the number 123, the three is in a place with the value of one. The two is in a place with a value of ten. The one is in a place with a value of hundred. This is known as place value or the value of places of digits in a number. The order of places is infinite. Starting at ones, then tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands and so on. All numbers contain several other numbers inside it, even one digit numbers. 1 is divided into infinite parts called fractions. A fraction is a smaller number, written over a larger number separated by a line called a vinculum. The top number over the vinculum is the numerator and the bottom number is the denominator. These fractions are wholes, quarters, halves etc. but are infinite groups or them. A mixed number is a whole number and a fraction such as one and one quarter which one whole number and a quarter of a whole number. An improper fraction is a fraction in which the numerator is larger than the denominator. To convert a improper fraction into a mixed number you must find out how many times the denominator divides into the numerator. The quotient is the whole number for the mixed number and the remainder is put over the denominator to give the mixed number. To convert a mixed number back into an improper fraction you multiply the denominator by the whole number and add the remainder. You place the product of the numerator and whole number and the sum of the product and remainder over the denominator in the mixed number.

One half can be written as 0.5 as it is 0 whole numbers and 5 tenths of a whole number. This type of number is called a decimal. Decimals contain the whole number or if it’s a fraction a zero separated by a dot known as a decimal point and the full form of the fraction. A decimal cannot have two decimal points. 0.25 is known as one quarter, 0.5 is a half and 0.75 is three quarters. Decimals, like whole numbers have place values but go in the opposite direction. In the decimal 123.456 the 3 is in the ones column. After the decimal point, the places have the values of tenths, hundredths, thousandths, ten thousandths and so on. Like whole numbers, the value of the places in a decimal are also infinite.

Numbers can also be written as a percentage. Per cent in Latin means out of one hundred and is written as %. Percentages are used when calculating large amounts. If there were 25 questions in an examination and you got 96% correct. You multiply 25 by 96 and divide by 100 (see Arithmetic)

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