A Story of Numbers | IT

Question 14

What is any landmark number multiplied by \cap (that is 10)? Find the following products—

Each landmark number is a power of 10 and so multiplying it with 10 increases the power by 1, which is the next landmark number.

Question diagram 1
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Solution

The symbol '∩' represents the number 10. A landmark number is a power of 10.

Step 1 — Understand the symbols and the rule

The question tells us that the symbol '∩' means 10. It also says that each first symbol in the expressions is a "landmark number". A landmark number is a power of 10, like 1, 10, 100, 1000, and so on. The rule is: multiplying a landmark number by 10 gives the next landmark number.

Step 2 — Determine the value of each first symbol

Let's find the value of the first symbol in each expression.

For expression (i), the first symbol is '∩'. We know '∩' is 10.

For expression (ii), the first symbol is '១'. This symbol is the Khmer numeral for 1. So, '១' represents 1.

For expression (iii), the first symbol is a stylized symbol. Following the pattern of landmark numbers (1, 10, ...), this symbol represents 100.

For expression (iv), the first symbol is 'P'. Following the pattern of landmark numbers (1, 10, 100, ...), this symbol represents 1000.

Step 3 — Calculate the products

Now we will calculate each product.

(i) Product of ∩ × ∩ The first symbol is 10. We multiply it by 10. ×=10×10\cap \times \cap = 10 \times 10 =100= 100

100\boxed{100}

(ii) Product of ១ × ∩ The first symbol is 1. We multiply it by 10. ×=1×10១ \times \cap = 1 \times 10 =10= 10

10\boxed{10}

(iii) Product of the stylized '100' symbol × ∩ The first symbol is 100. We multiply it by 10. 100×=100×10100 \times \cap = 100 \times 10 =1000= 1000

1000\boxed{1000}

(iv) Product of 'P' symbol × ∩ The first symbol is 1000. We multiply it by 10. P×=1000×10P \times \cap = 1000 \times 10 =10000= 10000

10000\boxed{10000}

Diagram 1

Answer

(i) 100 (ii) 10 (iii) 1000 (iv) 10000

More questions in IT

Q1

Q. Reema's curiosity was sparked, and questions started swirling in her head:

(i) Since when have humans been counting?

(ii) What was their need for counting? What were they counting?

(iii) Since when have people been writing numbers in the modern form?

(iv) How would the Mesopotamians have written 20? 50? 100?

Q2

Context: Imagine that we are living in the Stone Age, say, around ten thousand years ago. Suppose we have a herd of cows.

Q. How do we ensure that all cows have returned safely after grazing?

Q3

Context: Imagine that we are living in the Stone Age, say, around ten thousand years ago. Suppose we have a herd of cows.

Q. Do we have fewer cows than our neighbour?

Q4

Context: Imagine that we are living in the Stone Age, say, around ten thousand years ago. Suppose we have a herd of cows.

Q. If there are fewer, how many more cows would we need so that we have the same number of cows as our neighbour?

Q5

Context: Suppose we have a herd of cows. We want to answer the following questions: Q2. Do we have fewer cows than our neighbour? Q3. If there are fewer, how many more cows would we need so that we have the same number of cows as our neighbour?

Q. How will you use such sticks to answer the other two questions (Q2 and Q3)?

Q6

How many numbers can you represent in this way using the sounds of the letters of your language?

Q7

Do you see a way of extending this method to represent bigger numbers as well? How?

Q8

Context: A group of indigenous people in Australia called the Gumulgal had the following words for their numbers:

  1. urapon
  2. ukasar
  3. ukasar-urapon
  4. ukasar-ukasar
  5. ukasar-ukasar-urapon
  6. ukasar-ukasar-ukasar

Q. Can you see how their number names are formed?

Q9

Context: A group of indigenous people in Australia called the Gumulgal had the following words for their numbers:

  1. urapon
  2. ukasar
  3. ukasar-urapon
  4. ukasar-ukasar
  5. ukasar-ukasar-urapon
  6. ukasar-ukasar-ukasar

Q. Can you see how the names of the other numbers are formed?

Q10

What could be the difficulties with using a number system that counts only in groups of a single particular size? How would you represent a number like 1345 in a system that counts only by 5s?

Q11

Do it yourself now:

(b) LXXXVII + LXXVIII

Q12

How will you multiply two numbers given in Roman numerals, without converting them to Hindu numerals? Try to find the product of the following pairs of landmark numbers: V × L, L × D, V × D, VII × IX.

Q13

Instead of grouping together 10 collections of size equal to the previous landmark number (as in the case of the Egyptian system), can we get a number system by grouping together 5 collections of size equal to the previous landmark number? Can this 5 be replaced by any positive integer?

Q14

What is any landmark number multiplied by \cap (that is 10)? Find the following products—

Each landmark number is a power of 10 and so multiplying it with 10 increases the power by 1, which is the next landmark number.

Q15

What is any landmark number multiplied by ?\text{?} (10210^2)? Find the following products—

Q16

Find the following products—

Thus, the product of any two landmark numbers is another landmark number!

Q17

Context: Thus, the product of any two landmark numbers is another landmark number!

Q. Does this property hold true in the base-5 system that we created? Does this hold for any number system with a base?

Q18

Now find the following products—

Q19

What would be a simple rule to multiply a number with ∩?

Q20

Context: To get an idea of how the abacus was used for calculations, let us consider a simple addition problem: 2907 + 43. The two numbers were taken on either side of the vertical partition.

Q. How would you use this to find the sum?

Q21

Context: To get an idea of how the abacus was used for calculations, let us consider a simple addition problem: 2907 + 43. The two numbers were taken on either side of the vertical partition. The counters along each line were brought together.

Q. What is to be done if the total in a line exceeded 10?

Q22

Look at the representation of 60. What will be the representation for 3,600?

Q23

How is this to be read?

Q24

Represent the following numbers using the Mayan system:

(i) 77 (ii) 100 (iii) 361 (iv) 721

Q25

Where does the Hindu/Indian number system figure in the evolution of ideas of number representation? What are its landmark numbers? And does it use a place value system?

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