Whole Numbers

the number 1,234,567,890 is a very large number (not something we would encounter every day)

but broken down into segments of three we can identify even the largest of numbers

the above number would read as follows...

one billion two hundred thirty-four million five hundred sixty-seven thousand eight hundred ninety

did you notice the pattern... each comma is used to separate the different large units

the first comma (from the left) represents a thousand, the second a million, the third a billion, and so on

leaving only three-digit numbers left to identify between commas

  these symbols are used to perform calculations with numbers

  add + plus + the sum of + increase by + total of + more than + in addition to

  subtract - minus - difference of - decrease by - reduce by - less than - fewer than 

  multiply by x times x of x twice is two times x the product of 

  divide by ÷ the quotient of ÷ split up into ÷ separate ÷ distribute ÷ per ÷ out of

                           equal to = is = answer = result = solution = total = response

                    a whole number is any number represented by a complete unit

                    the first twelve whole numbers are...  0  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 and 11 

                                                                          ( yes even zero is a whole number )

                    even numbers are whole numbers    0  2  4  6  8  10  12  14  16  18  20  22  24 ...

                    odd numbers are whole numbers      1  3  5  7  9  11  13  15  17  19  21  23  25 ...

                    prime numbers are whole numbers   1  2  3  5  7  11  13  17  19  23  29  31  37 ...

                    and so are composite numbers        4  6  8  9  10  12  14  15  16  18  20  21  22 ...

                                                           B.E.D.M.A.S.

        this represents the order in which all mathematical operations must be performed

Brackets        the first calculations to be done are within the brackets (    )  before  [      ]

Exponents      exponents often must be calculated before the bracket can be completed

Division &      remember to work from Left to Right (neither multiplication nor division takes precedence over the other)

Multiplication

Addition &      remember to work from Left to Right (neither addition nor subtraction takes precedence over the other)

Subtraction

check out the Exponents section of the Exponents and Roots page for further information about exponents

                                                     (click here ↑ for a quick link)

Here is an example using the correct order of operations to find the solution to the equation

                                    8 - 2 x 3 + 5( 4 - 2 )2

                                            = 8 - 2 x 3 + 5(2)2

                                            = 8 - 2 x 3 + 5(4)

                                            = 8 - 2 x 3 + 20

                                            = 8 - 6 + 20

                                            = 2 + 20

                                            = 22

AVERAGE

the average of any series of numbers can be calculated using a two step process

1)  add up all the numbers in the series

2)  divide this sum by the number of numbers you added up

ROUNDING 

To assist with quick calculations and mental math rounding is used to help estimate results.  Whole numbers can be rounded to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, ten-thousand, etc.

When rounding off... find the place you are rounding to (ten, hundred, million, etc...) then look to the right... if the number is a 5 or higher round up by increasing the selected place number by one... if the number you look at is less than 5 leave the selected place number as it is.

test your skills at rounding at...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/numbers/wholenumbers/whatarenumbers/rounding/quiz.shtml

(choose to round to the nearest 10, 100, or 1 000)

INTEGERS

Integers are numbers (positive or negative) without a fractional or decimal component

Negative numbers are the opposite of their natural whole number counterpart

Further information can be found using the following link... Negatives to learn more about them