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Chapter 1
Review of number concepts
IN THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL:
● identify and classify different types of numbers
● find common factors and common multiples of numbers
● write numbers as products of their prime factors
● work with integers used in real-life situations
● calculate with powers and roots of numbers
● understand the meaning of indices
● use the rules of indices
● revise the basic rules for operating with numbers
● perform basic calculations using mental methods and with a calculator
● round numbers in different ways to estimate and approximate answers.
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GETTING STARTED
1 A lot of the work in this chapter is revision. Look through the chapter to see what is
covered.
a Are there any parts of this chapter that you could confidently skip? Explain why.
b If you only had to do three topics in this chapter, which would you choose? Why?
2 Look at this completed cross-number puzzle.
a Write a set of clues for the puzzle. Each clue should include at least one of the
concepts from this chapter.
b Find the sum of the three greatest numbers. Write the answer in words.
3 Write each of the following using only numbers and brackets if needed.
a nine cubed
b twelve squared
c seven to the power of five
d the reciprocal of three to the power of two
e the reciprocal of three-quarters to the power of zero
f nine to the power of half
g fourteen billion, ten thousand and nineteen
4 Look at this decision diagram for problems involving calculation.
a Give an example of a problem where an approximate answer is good enough.
b How do you decide which method to use when an exact answer is needed?
c Estimates are useful for all of the methods in this decision tree. How could you
convince someone that it is important to estimate even if you can use a calculator?
KEY WORDS
base
composite number
cube
cube root
exponent
factor
index
index notation
integer
irrational number
multiple
power
prime factor
prime number
rational number
reciprocal
square number
square root
3
The statue shown in the photograph is a replica of a 22 000-year-old bone found in the Congo
Basin. The real bone is only 10 cm long and it is carved with groups of notches that represent
numbers. One column lists the prime numbers from 10 to 20. It is one of the earliest examples of
a number system using tallies. What do you think ancient civilisations used tallies for?
Our modern number system is called the Hindu-Arabic system because it was developed by
Hindus and spread by Arab traders who brought it with them when they moved to different
places in the world. The Hindu-Arabic system is decimal. This means it uses place value based
on powers of ten. Any number at all, including decimals and fractions, can be written using
place value and the digits from 0 to 9 .
