Language, notation and formulas
2.5.1 Try some yourself
Activity 5
How would you add the following words to the list:
decimal, fraction, positive, negative.
For each one, give the mathematical meaning and an example of its use.
Answer
There are many different correct answers to this question. However, make sure that the meanings you have given are equivalent to the ones below.
| Word | Mathematical meaning | Example of use |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | A number expressed in terms of tenths, hundredths, etc. | A quarter expressed as a decimal is 0.25. |
| Fraction | One whole number over another. | 0.75 expressed as a fraction is  . |
| Positive | Greater than zero. | 2 is a positive number. |
| Negative | Less than zero. | −2 is a negative number. |
OpenLearn - Language, notation and formulas
Except for third party materials and otherwise, this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence, full copyright detail can be found in the acknowledgements section. Please see full copyright statement for details.