Basic Number Theory

Question 1

What is the difference between a natural number and a whole number?

Answer 1

Whole numbers and natural numbers are basically the same except for the fact that 0 is the only whole number that isn’t natural. Both whole numbers and ‘natural numbers ascend in a positive direction.

Question 2

Which comes first between multiplication and division in the order of operations when solving problems?

Answer 2

Because multiplication and division are inverse, the order of operation does not matter as long as operating left to right.

Question 3

What is an integer?

Answer 3

An integer is basically a whole number and it’s opposite form which is generally a negative number.

Question 4

What is the most important integer rule to remember?

Answer 4

Positive times positive is positive
Negative times negative is positive
Positive times negative is negative

Question 5

What are two forms that integers can be applied?

Answer 5

Integers can be applied in any type of math but the most commonly used, especially ncea examples, are commonly basic bedmas equations and temperature equations

Question 6

What is a common factor?

Answer 6

A common factor is a number that is a factor of two or more numbers.

Question 7

What is one of he only things that has remained and will still remain undefined in math?

Answer 7

Division by zero is undefined. This means that it is impossible to divide by zero.

Question 8

What is a prime number?

Answer 8

A prime number is a number that can only be divided by itself and 1

Question 9

What is a composite factor?

Answer 9

A composite factor is basically the opposite to a prime because it has more than 2 factors

Question 10

What is the lowest common multiple?

Answer 10

The lowest common multiple of two or more numbers is the smallest multiple is shared by all of the numbers.

Question 11

What is a square number

Answer 11

A square number is found when a number is multiplied by itself

Question 12

What is a square root

Answer 12

A square root is the inverse of a square number- basically the opposite

Question 13

What is a surd

Answer 13

A surd is a type of irrational number commonly found with squares and square roots.

Question 14

When do brackets apply to square roots.

Answer 14

Brackets under square roots are implicit meaning they apply but are always needed

Question 15

What is a nth root?

Answer 15

A nth root is an estimate on what the power to a root should be

Question 16

What is a key rule to remember about even powers?

Answer 16

Even powers are always going to remain positive

Question 17

Aside from just equational numbers, where else can powers apply?

Answer 17

Powers can also be applied in working out are, volume and circumference, just to name a few

Question 18

How do you multiply numbers with powers?

Answer 18

Multiply the numbers like normal and add the powers on top

Question 19

What is the correlation between 1 and 0 in power form

Answer 19

In power form 0 and 1 relate to each other in basically the same way because a number to the power of 0 will just remain the same and anything multiplied by 1 is just itself again

Question 20

What is an inverse number

Answer 20

An inverse number that is the opposite of another. E.g. the inverse of 5 to the power of 2 is 5 to the power of negative 2