GSN MS and HS Basic Math Terms

A comprehensive collection of basic math terms and definitions covering arithmetic, number types, fractions, geometry, and coordinate systems.

Digits

A single number from $0$ to $9$.

Even Numbers

Numbers that are divisible (can be divided) by $2$. Example: $2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 48, 52$.

Odd Numbers

Numbers that are not divisible by $2$ (divided into $2$ groups). Example: $1, 3, 5, 7, 9$.

greater than

Comparing numbers to determine which number has a larger value.

less than

Comparing numbers to determine which number has a smaller value.

Equal

When expressions or numbers share the same value.

Estimate

To round a number to get an approximate answer.

Difference

The answer to a subtraction problem.

Product

The answer to a multiplication problem.

Factor

Number you multiply to find the product.

Quotient

The answer to a division problem.

Inverse operation

Operations that are the opposite of each other and undo each other (e.g., multiplication and division, or addition and subtraction).

Multiple

The product of any given number and any other whole number. Example: $0, 4, 8, 12, 16$ are multiples of $4$.

Zero property

When you multiply a factor times zero the product (answer) is zero.

Division

to divide things or numbers into equal groups. Key terms: share, separate, divide

Equal (Equality)

when two sides of an equation have the same values, the sides are equal. The sides have an equality.

Not equal

when 2 sides of the equation do not have the same value(what it is worth), they are not equal

Table

A way to organize information using rows and columns.

Input

The value you put into a formula.

Output

The value that comes out of a formula or equation.

Equivalent Fractions

Fractions that name the same part of a whole or the same location on a number line.

Expression

A mathematical phrase that contains operations, numbers, and/or variables.

Equation

Two expressions with an equal sign between them.

Place value

The value of a digit based on its position within a number.

Greatest Common Factor

The largest factor that two or more numbers have in common.

Least Common Multiple

The lowest product that two different numbers share.

Opposite of a Number

On a number line, a number that is the same distance away from zero in the other direction.

Zero

Represents an amount of nothing; a place holder between positive and negative numbers.

Rational Number

Any number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers

approximation

A value or quantity that is nearly but not exactly correct.

Sum

The answer to an addition problem.

Numerator

The part of a fraction above the line, which tells how many parts are being counted.

Factors

Numbers that are multiplied together to get a product

Decimal Number

A number in the base-$10$ place value system used to represent a quantity that may include part of a whole, recorded with a decimal point separating the whole from the part.

digit

number

opposite of a number (additive inverse)

(Mathematics) one of a pair of numbers whose sum is zero.

power of 10

A value represented by multiplying $10$ by itself a certain number of times.

rational numbers

numbers that can be written as fractions, including terminating and repeating decimals, and integers (ex. 1/3 = 0.3333...)

irrational numbers

Numbers that cannot be expressed in the form $\frac{a}{b}$, where $a$ and $b$ are integers and $b = 0$.

product

the answer to a multiplication problem

Integer

All whole numbers (both positive and negative) and zero.

inverse operations

operations that undo each other

fraction

A part of a whole; a broken piece of something that is no longer whole.

denominator

The quantity below the line in a fraction; it tells how many equal parts are in the whole.

approximation

a value or quantity that is nearly but not exactly correct.

Decimal Expansion

Representation of a number in base-$10$ (the decimal system).

Whole Number

All positive, non-decimal, non-fractional integers.

Real Numbers

The set of all rational and irrational numbers.

Fraction

a part of a whole; a broken piece of something that is no longer whole

Prime number

A whole number that has exactly two factors, $1$ and itself.

composite number

Any number that has more than two different factors.

subtract

"- ", minus; to take away.

percentage

Parts per $100$.

division

splitting into equal parts or groups

area

The number of square units required to cover a surface.

perimeter

The distance around a figure.

exponent

A small number on the top right of a number indicating how many times a number (base) is multiplied by itself.

parentheses

$$()$$

rounding

Expressing a number to the nearest thousandth, hundredth, tenth, one, ten, hundred, thousand, and so on (e.g., $47$ rounded to the nearest ten is $50$).

variable

A symbol (usually letter, like $x$) used to represent a number that can change or which is unknown.

quantity

An amount.

term

A part of an expression or equation. Examples: ($3x$ or $5$).

ratio

A way to compare two numbers by division, for example $2:3$.

negative number

A number less than zero.

origin

The point $(0,0)$ where the axes meet.

x-axis

The main horizontal line on a graph.

y-axis

The main vertical line on a graph.

coordinate plane

A coordinate system formed by the intersection of a horizontal number line, called the x-axis, and a vertical number line, called the y-axis.

ordered pair

Coordinates. A pair of numbers that can be used to locate a point on a coordinate plane. Example: $(0,0)$ or $(-4,5)$.

perpendicular

Two lines that intersect to form right ($90^{\circ}$) angles.

volume

The amount of space an object takes up.

positive number

A number greater than zero.

mean

The average (add all numbers and divide by how many).

median

Middle number if all numbers are in order from smallest to largest.

mode

The number that appears the most.

range

The difference between the biggest and smallest numbers.

quadrant

One of four sections of a coordinate plane.