Learning Definitions

One way that parents can help their children by revising mathematics is by asking questions. Of course it does help if you know the answer too!

1. What is used instead of numbers in an equation?

2. What does S.F. stand for? What is a significant figure?

3. When is it easier to write a number in standard form instead of writing it out in full?

4. What is the highest common factor and how would you work this out?

5. What is the radius of a circle? How can you find this if you were given the diameter of the circle?

6. What must you do to both numbers first if you want to divide a number by a decimal?

You then need to supply the answers as soon as possible.

1) Letters are used instead of numbers.

2) It stands for significant figures. A significant figure is a digit that is not a zero, or it is a zero that follows a number that is not a zero.

3) Is it easier to write very big numbers and very small numbers in standard form instead of writing it out in full.

4) The highest common factor of two numbers is the biggest number that can be multiplied to give those two numbers. Two work this out, we write down all the factors for the two given numbers and pick out the biggest number that is present in both lists.

5) The radius of a circle is the length of a straight line that goes from the centre of a circle to the circle’s edge. A circle’s diameter is the length of a straight line that goes from the circle’s edge, through the centre of the circle and to the other side. So, we can halve the diameter to find the radius.

6) You must move the decimal points of both numbers by the same number of places until the dividing number becomes a whole number.

We all know the saying: “Little and often!”

Good luck!