Calculations

Guide
 Introduction

This booklet needs no introduction, it’s like a famous paint (i.e. it does what it says on the
tin). It isn’t a text book, but has all the basics in it.

It is for everyone to use – pupils, teachers, parents, teaching assistants etc.

It isn’t an exhaustive list of all possible methods, but does contain Winchcombe School’s
preferred approaches and ways to calculate.

Use it as a starting point, before referring to other resources such as MyMaths or Corbett
Maths online. Please use it as an easy reference guide to help with homework and for
revision. It is also available in the maths site on Office 365.

Contents:

Addition
Subtraction
Multiplication
Division
Integers
BIDMAS
Formulae
Equations
Estimation
Fractions
Percentages
Ratio
Proportion
Data handling
Standard form
Maths dictionary

"There’s a big myth holding millions and millions of people back across the UK – and that
myth is that some people can do maths and some people can’t." Mike Ellicock (2014)

Everyone Can Learn Maths to the Highest Levels. Encourage students to believe in
themselves. There is no such thing as a “maths” person. Everyone can reach the highest
levels they want to, with hard work.
Mistakes are Valuable. Mistakes grow your brain! It is good to struggle and make mistakes.
Jo Boaler (2014)
 Addition
Mental strategies

There are a number of useful mental strategies for

addition. Some examples are given below.

Example Calculate 64 + 27

Method 1 Add tens, then add units, then add them together

60 + 20 = 80 4 + 7 = 11 80 + 11 = 91

Method 2 Split up number to be added (last number e.g. 27) into tens and units add
separately

64 + 20 = 84 84 + 7= 91

Method 3 Round up to the nearest 10, then subtract

64 + 30 = 94 but 30 is 3 too much so subtract 3;

94 - 3 = 91

Written Method
When adding numbers ensure that the numbers are lined up according to place value. Start
at the right hand side, write down units, carry tens.

Example Add 3032 and 589

 Subtraction

Mental Strategies
Example Calculate 93 - 56
Method 1 Count on
Count on from 56 until you reach 93. This can be done in several ways
e.g.

Method 2 Break up the number being subtracted

e.g. subtract 50, then subtract 6 93 - 50 = 43
43 - 6 = 37

Written Method
Example 1 4590 - 386 Example 2 Subtract 692 from 14597

Important steps for example 1

1. Say "zero subtract 6. We can't do this"
2. Look to next column exchange one ten for ten units
3. Then say " ten take away 6 equals 4"
4. Normal subtraction rules can be used to then complete the question.
 Multiplication

It is essential that you know all of your times tables

from 1 to 12. These are shown in the table below.

X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
3 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36
4 4 8 12 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48
5 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
6 6 12 18 24 30 36 42 48 54 60 66 72
7 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63 70 77 84
8 8 16 24 32 40 48 56 64 72 80 88 96
9 9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 90 99 108
10 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
11 11 22 33 44 55 66 77 88 99 110 121 132
12 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144

Mental Strategies

Example 39 x 6
 Multiplication 2
Multiplying by multiples of 10 and 100

To multiply by 10 you move every digit one place to the left.

To multiply by 100 you move every digit two places to the left.

Example 1 (a) Multiply 354 by 10 (b) Multiply 50.6 by 100

354 x 10 = 3540 50.6 x 100 = 5060

(c) 35 x 30 (d) 436 x 600

To multiply by To multiply by
30, multiply by 3, 600, multiply
then by 10 by 6, then by
100
35 x 3 = 105 436 x 6 = 2616
105 x 10 = 1050 2616 x 100 = 261600

We may also use these rules for multiplying decimal numbers

Example 2 (a) 2.36 x 20 (b) 38.4 x 50

2.36 x 2 = 4.72 38.4 x 5 = 192.0

4.72 x 10 = 47.2 192.0 x 10 = 1920

so 2.36 x 20 = 47.2 so 38.4 x50 = 1920

 Multiplication 3
We must now use the traditional column method of
multiplication for GCSE

Write the calculation out correctly, ensuring that the units, tens, hundreds columns are
lined up.
123 x5
First, multiply the units, 3(units) x 5 = 15, 1 ten and 5 units -
put the 5 in the units column and the 1 in the tens column
below the line.

Second, multiply the tens, 2(tens) x 5 = 10, add the 1 (from

step 1) to make 11 (tens), put 1 in the tens column and 1 in
the hundreds column below the line.

Lastly, multiply the hundreds, 1(hundreds) x 5 = 5, add this

to the 1 already in the 100's column from step 2 to make 6
and write this in the hundreds column.

123 x 45
Write the calculation out correctly, ensuring that the units,
tens, hundreds columns are lined up.

The first step is to multiply 123 by 5 (the units) exactly as in

the previous example.

Now we have to multiply 123 by 40 (the tens)

It is important to remember that any number multiplied by
any multiple of 10 (10,20,30,40 etc) always results in the
unit digit being a zero. So we put a 0 in the unit column and
then we only have to multiply 123 by 4.

Now we can proceed to multiply 123 by the tens, 123 x 4,

putting the answers into the correct columns of the next row.
3x4, then 2x4 and finally 1x4 to give 123 x 40 = 4920.
Lastly, we add the two multiplications together,
615 + 4920 to give 5535.
 Division
You should be able to divide by a single digit or by a
multiple of 10 or 100 without a calculator.

Written method

Example 1 There are 192 pupils in first year, shared equally between 8 classes. How
many pupils are there in each class?

0 23 4
8 1 9 2

There are 24 pupils in each class

Example 2 Divide 4.74 by 3

When dividing a decimal

1.5 8 number by a whole
number, the decimal point
1 2
3 4. 7 4 must stay in line.

Example 3 A jug contains 2.2 litres of juice. If it is poured evenly into 8 glasses, how
much juice is in each glass?

0.2 Remainder 6 If you have a remainder at

the end of calculation, add a
8 2 .2 2 zero on to the decimal and
continue with the calculation
0.2 7 5
8 2 .2 2 60 40
 Integers - Addition and Subtraction

An integer is what is more commonly known as a whole number. It may be positive,

negative or the number zero, but it must be whole.

Remember - No sign in front of a number means it is positive

Adding and subtracting positive numbers.

A number line may be used if you are finding questions difficult to do mentally.

If you add a positive number you move to the right on a number line.
If you subtract a positive number you move to the left on a number line.
Always start from the position of the first number

Adding and subtracting negative numbers.

Adding a negative number is the same as subtracting:
Examples 7 +(-3) is the same as 7 - 3 = 4

General rule a + (-b) = a - b

+ and + = +
+ and - = -
Subtracting a negative number is the same as adding:
Example (-5) - (-2) is the same as -5 +2=-3
- and + = -
- and - = +
General rule a - (-b) = a + b
 Integers Multiplying and Dividing

The following rules apply when multiplying and dividing

integers.

When you multiply

WHEN YOU DIVIDE integers the same rules apply

Examples

(-6) ÷ (-2) = 3 15 ÷ (-3) = - 5 - 20 ÷ 5 = - 4

Quick rule

If the signs are the same, the answer is positive. If the signs are different, the answer is
negative.
 Order of Calculation (BIDMAS)
Consider this: What is the answer to 2 +4 x 5 ?

Is it (2 + 4) x 5 or 2 + (4 x 5)
=6x5 = 2 +20
= 30 = 22

The correct answer is 22.

Calculations which have more than one operation must

be done in a particular order. The order can be
remembered by using the mnemonic BIDMAS.

The BIDMAS rule tells us which operations should be done first. BIDMAS represents:
(B)rackets
(I)ndices
(D)ivision
(M)ultiplication
(A)ddition
(S)ubtraction

Therefore in the example above multiplication should be done before addition.

Example 1 15 - 12 ÷ 6 BIDMAS tells us to divide first

= 15 -2
= 13

Example 2 (9 + 5) x 6 BIDMAS tells us to work out the bracket first

= 14 x 6
= 84

Example 3 18 + 6 ÷ ( 5-2) Brackets first

= 18 + 6 ÷ 3 Then divide
= 18 + 2 Now add
= 20
 Evaluating Formulae
To find the value of a variable in a formula, we must substitute all the given values into the
formula, then use BIDMAS rules to work out the answer

The length of string S mm for a mass of W g is given by the formula S = 16 + 3W

Example 1

Find S when W = 4 g
Step 1: write formula S = 16 + 3W
Step 2: Substitute numbers for letters S = 16 + 3 x 4
Step 3: Start to calculate (BIDMAS) S = 16 + 12
Step 4: write answer S = 28

Step 5: Interpret answer in context Final answer 28mm

Example 2

Find W when S = 22mm

Step 1: write formula S = 16 + 3W
Step 2: Substitute numbers for letters 22 = 16 + 3W
Step 3: Solve the equation 6 = 3W
Step 4: write answer W=2

Step 5: Interpret answer in context Final answer 2g

 Equations
An equation is a statement or mathematical expression
which says one side is equal to the other side. We
expect you to use the ‘change side, change sign’
method when solving equations.

Rule: Collect the letters on the side where there are the most of them

Example: Solve for x

2x + 3 = 9 Identify the number +3 must change side and change sign

2x = 9 - 3 +3 changes to -3

2x = 6 The 'times 2' must change side and change sign

x=6÷2

x=3

Example: Solve for x

3x +6 = 2x + 8 Which side has the most letters? The 2x changes side and
changes sign
3x -2x +6 = 8

x +6 = 8 +6 must change side and change sign

x=8-2

x=2

Important points to remember

We prefer to write the letter x to be written differently from a multiplication sign.

One equals sign per line
Try and keep the equals signs beneath each other.
 Formulae 1

When using a formula

 Write down the formula
 Replace the variables with the given numbers (this is called SUBSTITUTION)
 Solve the equation

Example 1
The formula for calculating the perimeter of a rectangle with length, l and breadth b is
P = 2l + 2b.
Find the perimeter of a rectangle with length 20 centimetres and breadth 13 centimetres.
P = 2l + 2b l = 20cm , b = 13 cm
P = 2 × 20 + 2 × 13
P = 40 + 26
P = 66 cm
The perimeter is 66 cm.

Example 2

Find the volume of this cuboid.

V=l×b×h
V = 10 × 8 × 6
V = 480 cm3
 Formulae 2

Distance, Speed and Time.

For any given journey, the distance travelled depends on the speed and the time taken. If
speed is constant, then the following formulae apply:

To help remember equations of this form a magic triangle can be used

e.g
Cover up the letter you’re looking for and
you are left with the equation

Try it and compare with equations above

Example
Calculate the speed of a train which travelled 450 km in 5 hours
 Estimation : Rounding
Numbers can be rounded to give an approximation

The same principle applies to rounding decimal numbers.

In general to round a number we must first identify the place value to which we want to
round. We must then look at the next digit to the right (the check digit)- if it is 5 or more to
round up.

Example 1 Round 3.14159 to 3 decimal places

The third number after the decimal point is a 1 - the check digit (the fourth number after the
decimal point) is a 5, so round up
Answer = 3.142 to 3 decimal places

Remember- When dealing with money calculations you should always round to two decimal
places.
Also never use the £ sign and p sign together
£2.47 or 274p £0.92 or 92p

You could also be asked to round a number off to a certain number of significant figures

Example 2: Round 3.14159 to 3 significant figures

3.14159 - the numbers underlined represent the first 3 significant figures. Following the
rules of rounding- the check digit is 1 so the number stays the same.

Answer = 3.14 to 3 significant figures

 Estimation : Calculation
We can use rounded numbers to give us an
approximate answer to a calculation. This allows us to
check that our answer is sensible.

Example 1

Tickets for a concert were sold over 4 days. The number of tickets sold each day was
recorded in the table below. How many tickets were sold in total?

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

486 205 197 321

Estimate = 500 + 200 + 200 + 300 Estimate = 1200

Calculate:

Example 2
A bar of chocolate has a mass of 42g. There are 48 bars of chocolate in a box. What is the
total mass of chocolate in the box?

Estimate: = 50 x 40 Estimate = 2000g

 Fractions 1
Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of
fractions are studied in mathematics. However the
examples below may be helpful in all subjects.

Understanding Fractions

Example
A jar contains black and white sweets.

How many you have

What fraction of the sweets are black? Total number you have

3
There are 3 black sweets out of a total of 7, so of the sweets are black
7

Equivalent Fractions

Example
What fraction of the flag is shaded?

6
6 out of 12 squares are shaded. So of the flag is shaded.
12

1
It could also be said that the flag is shaded.
2

6 1
and are equivalent fractions.
12 2
 Fractions 2
Simplifying Fractions
The top of a fraction is called the numerator, the bottom of
a fraction is called the denominator.
To simplify a fraction, divide the numerator and
denominator of the fraction by the same number.

Example 1

This can be done repeatedly until the numerator and denominator are the smallest possible
numbers - the fraction is then said to be in its simplest form.

Example 2

Calculating Fractions of a Quantity

To find the fraction of a quantity, divide by the
denominator.
1 1 1
To find divide by 2, to find divide by 3, to find
2 3 7
divide by 7 etc.

1
Example 1 Find of £150
5

1
of £150 = £150 ÷5 =£30
5

3
Example 2 Find of 48
4
3
To find of a quantity,
4
1 1
of 48 = 48 ÷ 4 = 12 start by finding a then multiply by
4 4
3 (the numerator)
3
so of 48= 3 x 12= 36
4
 Fractions 3
Adding, Subtracting Fractions

To add and subtract fractions you have to make the

denominators the same by using equivalent fractions. Then
you add or subtract the new numerators.

Example 1

Both fractions have the

1 3 4 same denominator so
+ = we can simply add the
5 5 5 numerators.

Example 2

2 1
−4
3 Make the denominators
the same. Then subract
8 3 the new numerators.
= −
12 12
5
=
12
Multiplying, Dividing Fractions

To multiply fractions, multiply the To divide turn the second

numerators together and the fraction unpside down (flip) and
denominators together separately. then multiply.
Example 1 Example 2

remember to flip the

second fraction
 Percentages 1

Percent means out of 100.

A percentage can be converted to an equivalent fraction or
decimal.

36
36% means
100

9
36% is therefore equivalent to and 0.36
25

Common percentages

Some percentages are used very frequently. It is useful to know these as fractions and
decimals.
 Percentages 2
There are many ways to calculate percentages of a quantity. Some
common ways are shown below.Percent means out of 100.
A percentage can be converted to an equivalent fraction or
decimal.

Non calculator methods

Method 1 Using equivalent Fractions
Example find 25% of £640
1
25% of £640 = of £640 = £640 ÷ 4= £160
4
Method 2 Using 1%
In this method, first find 1% of the quintity (by dividing by 100), then multiply to give the
required value.

Example Find 9% of 200g

1
1% of 200g = of 200g = 200g ÷ 100= 2g
100

so 9% of 200g= 9x2 = 18g

Method 3 Using 10%

This method is similar to the one above. First find 10% ( by dividing by 10), then multiply to
give the required value.

Example Find 70% of £35

1
10% 0f £35 = of £35 = £35 ÷ 10 = £3.50
100

so 70% of £35 = 7 x £3.50 =£24.50

 Percentages 3
Non-calculator methods (continued)

The previous 2 can be combined so as to calculate any pencentage.

Example Find 23% of £15000

10% of £15000= £1500 so 20% = £1500 x2 = £3000

1% OF £15000=£150 so 3% = £150 x 3 = £450

23% of £15000 = £3000+ £450 = £3450

Finding VAT without a calculator

Value Added Tax (VAT) = 20%

To find VAT, firstly find 10%

Example Calculate the total price of a computer which costs £650 excluding VAT

10% of £650 = £65 (divide by 10)

20% of £650 =£130 ( times last answer by 2)

so 20% = £130

Total price = £650 + £130 = £780

 Percentages 4
Calculator Method

To find a percentage of a quantity using a calculator, change the percentage to a decimal,

then multiply.

Example 1 find 23% of £15000

23% is 0.23

so 23% of £15000= 0.23 x £15000 = £3450

We do not use the % button on calculators. The methods

taught in the mathematics department are all based on
converting percentages to decimals.

Example 2 House prices increased by 19% over a one year peroid. What is the new value
of a house which was valued at £236000 at the start of the year.

19% = 0.19 so increase = 0.19 x £236000 = £44840

value at the end of the year = original value + increase

= £236000 + £44840

= £280840

The new value of the house is £280840

 Percentages 5
Finding the percentage

To find a percentage of a total, first make a fraction, then

convert to a decimal by dividing the top by the bottom. This
can then be expressed as a percentage.

Example 1 There are 30 pupils in Class 9 Jenner. 18 are girls.

What percentage of Class 9 Jenner are girls?

18
= 18 ÷ 30 = 0.6 = 60%
30

60% of 9Jenner are girls

Example 2 James scored 36 out of 44 his biology test. What is his percentage mark?

36
Score = = 36 ÷ 44 = 0.81818... = 81.818..% = 82% (rounded)
44

Example 3 In class 8 Roberts, 14 pupils had brown hair, 6 pupil had blonde hair, 3 pupils
had black hair and 2 had red hair. What percentage of the pupils were
blonde?

Total number of pupils = 14+6+3+2=25

6 out of 25 were blonde, so,

6
= 6 ÷ 25 = 0.24 = 24%
25

24% were blonde

 Ratio 1
When quantities are mixed together, the ratio, or proportion
of each quantity is often given. The ratio can be used to
calculate the amount of each quantity, or share a total into
parts.

Writing Ratios

Example 1
To make a fruit drink, 4 parts water is mixed with 1 part of cordial.

The ratio of water to cordial is 4 : 1 (said "4 to 1")

The ratio of cordial to water is 1 : 4

Order is important when writing ratios

Example 2
In a bag of balloons, there are 5 red, 7 blue and 8 green balloons.

The ratio of red:blue:green is 5 : 7 : 8

Simplifying Ratios
Ratios can be simplifing in much the same way as fractions.

Example 1
Purple paint can be made by mixing 10 tins of blue paint with 6 tins of red. The ratio of blue
to red can be written as 10 : 6

It can also be written as 5 : 3, as it is possible to split up the tins in totwo groups, each
contianing 5 tins of blue and 3 tins of red.

B B B B B R R R To simplify a ratio,
Blue : Red = 10 : 6 divide each figure
in the ratio by a
B B B B B R R R common factor.
=5:3
 Ratio 2
Simplifying Ratios (continued)

Example 2

Simplify each ratio:

(a) 4 : 6 (b) 24 : 36 (c) 6 : 3 : 12

Divide each Divide each Divide each
=2:3 figure by 2 =2:3 figure by 12 =2:1:4 figure by 3

Example 3

Concrete is made by mixing 20kg of sand with 4kg cement. Write the ratio of sand : cement
in its simplist form.

sand : cement =20 : 4

=5:1

Using ratios

The ratio of fruit to nuts in a chocolate bar is 3 : 2. If a bar contains 15g of fruit, what weight
of nuts will it contain?

So the chocolate bar will contain 10g of nuts.

 Ratio 3
Sharing in a given ratio

Example

Lauren and Connor earn money by washing cars. By the end of the day they have made £90.
As Lauren did more of the work, they decided to share the profits in the ratio 3 : 2. How
much money did each receive?

Step 1 Add up the numbers to find the total number of parts

3+2=5

Step 2 Divide the total by this number to find the value of each part

90 ÷ 5 = £18

Step 3 Multiply each figure by the value of each part

3 x £18 = £54

2 x £18 = £36

Step 4 Check that the total is correct

£54 + £36 = £90

Lauren received £54 and Connor received £36

 Proportion
Two Quantities are said to be in direct proportion if when one
doubles the other doubles. We can use proportion to solve
problems.

It is often useful to make table when solving problems involving proportions.

Example 1

A car factory produces 1500 cars in 30 days. How many cars would they produce in 90 days?

The factory would produce 4500 cars in 90 days.

Example 2

5 adult tickets for the cinima costs £27.50. How much would 8 tickets cost?

The cost of 8 tickets is £44

 Data Handling : Tables
It is somtimes useful to display information in graphs, charts or
tables.

Example 1 The table below shows the average maximum tempertures (in degrees
celsius) in Barcelona and Edinburgh

The average temperature in June in Bacelona is 24⁰C

Frequency Tables are used to present information. Often data is grouped in intervals.

Example 2 Homework marks for class 4B

Each mark is recorded in the table by a tally mark. Tally marks are grouped in 5's to make
them easier to read and count.
 Data handling : Bar Graphs / Histograms
Bar graphs and histograms are often used to display data.
They must not be confused as being the same. Bar graphs are
used to present discrete or non numerical data where as
histograms are used to present continuous data. All graphs
should have a title, and each axis must be labelled.

Example 1 Example of a bar graph

How do pupils travel to school?

Number
of pupils

An even space should be between each bar and each bar should be of equal width. (also
leave a space between vertical axis and the first bar.)

Example 2 Example of a histogram

The graph below shows the homework marks for class 4B.

Number
of pupils

Important- there should be no space between the bars.

 Data Handling: Line Graphs
Line graphs consist of a series of points which are plotted, then
joined by a line. All graphs should have a title, and each axis
must be labelled. The trend of a graph is a general description
of it.

Example 1 The graph below shows Heather's weight over 14 weeks as she follows on
exercise programme.

Mass in kg

The trend of the graph is that her weight is decreasing.

Example 2 Graph of temperatures in Edinburgh and Barcelona.

Temperature
in Celcius
 Data Handling: Pie Charts

A pie chart can be used to display information. Each sector

(slice) of the chart represents a different category. The size of
each category can be worked out as a fraction of the total
using the number of divisions or by measuring angles.

Example 30 pupils were asked the colour of their eyes. The results are shown in the
pie chart below.

How many pupils had brown eyes?

2
The pie chart is divided up into 10 parts, so pupils with brown eyes represent of the
10
total.
2
of 30 = 6 so 6 pupils had brown eyes.
10

If no divisions are marked, we can work out the fraction by measuring the angle of each
sector.

The angle in the brown sector is 72o

so the number of pupils with brown eyes
72
= x 30 = 6 pupils
360

If finding all of the values, you can check your answers- the total should be 30 pupils.
 Data Handling: Pie Charts 2
Drawing Pie Charts

On a pie chart, the size of the angles for each sector

is calculated as a fraction of 360o .

Example: In a survey about school, a group of pupils were asked what was their favourite
subject. Their answers are given in the table below. Draw a pie chart to illustrate the
information.

Subject Number of People

Mathematics 28
Home Economics 24
Music 10
Physics 12
PE 6
Total number of people = 80

28 28
Mathematics = x 360o = 126o
80 80
24 24
Home Economics = x 360o = 108o
80 80
10 10
Music = x 360o = 45o
80 80
12 12
Physics = x 360o = 54o
80 80
6 6 Check that the total = 360o
Mathematics = x 360o = 27o
80 80
 Data Handling: Scatter Graphs
A scatter diagram is used to display the relationship between
two variables.
A pattern appear on the graph. This is called a correlation.

Example: The table below shows the height and the arm span of a group of year 7 boys. This
is then plotted as a series of points on the graph below.

Year 7 Boys

Height
(cm)

Thr graph shows a general trend, that as the arm span increases, so does the height. This
graph shows a positive correlation.
The line drawn is called the line of best fit.This line can be used to provide estimates. For
example, a boy of arm span 150cm would be expected to have a height of around 149cm.

Note that in some subjects, it is a requirement that the axes start from zero. Also the line of
best fit does not have to pass through the origin.
 Data Handling: Averages
To provide information about a set of data, the
average value may be given. There are 3 ways of
finding the average value - the mean, the median
and the mode.

Mean
The mean is found by adding all the data together and dividing by the number of values.

Median
The median is the middle value when all the data is written in numerical order (if there are
two middle values, the median is half-way between these two values).

Mode
The mode is the value that occurs most often.

Range
The range of a set of data is a measure of spread.
Range = Highest value - Lowest value

Example
Class 8R scored the following marks for their homework assignment. Find the mean,
median, mode and range of the results.

6, 9, 7, 5, 6, 6, 10, 9, 8, 4, 8, 5, 7

6+9+7+5+6+6+10+9+8+4+8+5+7
Mean =
13
90
= = 6.923..... Mean = 6.9 to 1 decimal place
13

Ordered values: 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10
Median = 7

6 is the most frequent mark so the mode = 6

Range = 10- 4 = 6
 Standard Form

In engineering and scientific calculations you often deal with

very small or very large numbers, for example 0.00000345 and
870 000 000 000.
To avoid writing these very long numbers a system has been
developed, known as standard form which enables us to write
numbers more concisely.

The rules when writing a number in standard form is that the first you write down a number
between 1 an 10, then you write x 10 (to the power of a number)

Example

Write 81 900 000 000 000 in standard form:

= 8.19 x 1013

It's 1013 because the decimal point has been 'moved' 13 places to the left to get to the
number 8.19

Example

Write 0.000 001 2 in standard form:

= 1.2 x 10-6

It's 10-6 because the decimal point has been 'moved' 6 places to the right to get the number
1.2

On a calculator, you usually enter a number in standard form as follows:

Type in the first number (the one between 1 and 10). Press EXP. Type in the power to which
the 10 is risen.

Interesting facts
Mass of the Earth = 5974200000000000000000000 kg
= 5.9742 x1024 kg
Mass of an electron = 0.00000000000000000000000000000092 kg
= 9.2 x 10-31 kg
 Dictionary
Acute angle An angle less than 90°.

Adjacent Adjacent sides are next to each other and are joined by a common vertex.

Algebra Algebra is the branch of mathematics where symbols or letters are used to
represent numbers.

Angle An angle is formed when two straight lines cross or meet each other at a point. The
size of an angle is measured by the amount one line has been turned in relation to the
other.

Approximate An approximate value is a value that is close to the actual value of a number.

Arc Part of a circumference of a circle.

Area The amount of space a shape takes up. E.g. the area of the lawn is 35 square metres.

Asymmetrical A shape which has no lines of symmetry.

Average A value to best represent a set of data. There are three type of average - the
mean, the median and the mode.

Axis An axis is one of the lines used to locate a point in a coordinate system.

Bearing A three digit angle measured from north in a clockwise direction.

BIDMAS A way of remembering the order in which operations are carried out. It stands for
Brackets - Indices - Division - Multiplication - Addition - Subtraction.

Bisect To divide an angle or shape exactly in half.

Brackets Used to determine the order in which operations are carried out. For example, 3
+ 4 x 2 = 11 but (3 + 4) x 2 = 14.

Calculate To work out the value of something. This does not have to mean you need a
calculator!

Centilitre (cl) A measure of volume. 100 centilitres = 1 litre (100 cl = 1 l). 1 centilitre = 10
millilitres (1 cl = 10 ml).

Centimetre (cm) A measure of distance. 1 centimetre = 10 millimetres. (1 cm = 10 mm).

100 centimetres = 1 metre. (100 cm = 1 m).

Chord A straight line drawn from one point on the edge of a circle to another.

Circumference The perimeter of a circle.

Coefficient The number in front of an algebraic symbol. For example the coefficient of 5x
is 5.

Congruent If you can place a shape exactly on top of another then they are said to be
congruent. You may rotate, reflex or translate the shape.

Constant A letter or symbol whose value always stays the same. The constant Π is a
common example.

Credit To add money to a bank account. For example, I had £500 credited to my bank
account.

Cross section The end section created when you slice a 3D shape along it's length.

Cube number The product when an integer is multiplied by itself twice. For example 5
cubed = 5 x 5 x 5 = 125.

Cuboid A 3D shape with all sides made from rectangles.

Cumulative frequency A running total of the frequencies, added up as you go along.

Day A time period of 24 hours. There are 7 days in a week.

Debit To take out money from a bank account. For example, £400 was debited from my
account.

Decagon A ten sided polygon.

Decimal Not a whole number or integer. For example, 3.6 or 0.235.

Decrease To make an amount smaller.

Denominator The bottom part of a fraction.

Diameter The distance across a circle which passes through the centre.

Difference Subtract the smaller value from the larger value to find the difference between
two numbers.

Distance How far away an object is. For example, it is a distance of 3 miles to the city
centre.

Distribution How data is shared or spread out.

Equal Used to show two quantities have the same value.

Equation Two expressions which have the same value, separated by an '=' sign.
E.g. 3y = 9 + y

Equilateral triangle A triangle with all sides and angles the same size.

Estimate To find an approximate answer to a more difficult problem. E.g. 31.2 x 5.94 is
roughly equal to 30 x 6 = 180.

Even number Any number which is a multiple of 2. Even numbers always end in 2, 4, 6, 8
or 0.
Expand To multiply out brackets in an expression. For example, 2(3x + 7) = 6x + 14.

Expression A collection of terms which can contain variables (letters) and numbers. E.g.
4pq - q + 7

Factor A number that divides another number exactly. E.g. 4 is a factor of 12.

Factorise To put an expression into brackets by taking out a common factor. For example,
20x + 15y = 5(4x + 3y).

Figures Another name for numbers. For example one thousand and fifty in figures is 1050.

Formula An equation used to describe a relationship between two or more variables.

Frequency How many times something happens. Another word for 'total'.

Frequency density The frequency divided by the class width.

Gradient How steep a line is. Found by dividing the distance up by the distance across.

Gram (g) A measure of mass. 1 gram = 1000 milligrams. (1 g = 1000 mg)

HCF Stands for 'highest common factor'. It is the largest factor common to a set of
numbers. E.g. The HCF of 16 and 24 is 8.

Heptagon A seven sided polygon.

Hexagon A six sided polygon.

Histogram A diagram drawn with rectangles where the area is proportional to the
frequency and the width is equal to the class interval.

Hypotenuse The longest side on a right angled triangle.

Increase To make an amount larger.

Indices Another name for powers such as ² or ³.

Integer A whole number.

Inter-quartile range (IQR) The difference between the upper and lower quartile.

Irrational A decimal which is never ending. It must also not be a recurring decimal.

Justify Another word for 'explain'. Often crops up on your maths exam. E.g. 'Calculate the
mean and range for each player. Who is the better player Justify your answer.

Kilogram (Kg) A measure of mass. 1 kilogram = 1000 grams. (1 kg = 1000 g)

Kilometre (Km) A measure of distance. 1 kilometre = 1000 metres. (1 km = 1000 m)

LCM Stands for 'lowest common multiple'. It is the smallest multiple common to a set of
numbers. E.g. The LCM of 3 and 4 is 12.

Litre (l) A measure of volume. 1 litre = 100 centilitres (1 l = 100 cl). 1 litre = 1000 millilitres
(1l = 1000 ml).

Loci The plural of locus.

Locus A collection of points which are the same distance from another point or line.

Lower range The smallest value in a set of data.

Mean A type of average found by adding up a list of numbers and dividing by how many
numbers are in the list.

Median The middle value when a list of numbers is put in order from smallest to largest. A
type of average.

Metre (m) A measure of distance. 1 metre = 100 centimetres. (1 m = 1000 cm).

Millilitre (ml) A measure of volume. 10 millimetres = 1 centilitre (10 ml = 1 cl). 1000
millilitres = 1 litre (1000 ml = 1 l).

Millimetre (mm) A measure of distance. 10 millimetres = 1 centimetre. (10 mm = 1 cm).

Modal Another term for mode

Mode The most common value in a list of numbers. If two values are tied then there is two
modes. If more than two values are tied then there is no mode. A type of average.

Month A time period of either 28, 30 or 31 days. There are 12 months in a year.

Multiple A number which is part of another number's times table. E.g. 35 is a multiple of 5.

Natural number A positive integer

Negative A value less than zero

Nonagon A nine sided polygon.

Numerator The top part of a fraction.

Obtuse angle An angle between 90 and 180.

Octagon An eight sided polygon.

Odd number A number that is not a multiple of 2. Odd numbers always end in 1, 3, 5, 7 or
9.

Operation An action which when applied to one or more values gives an output value. The
four most common operations are addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

Parallel Two or more lines which are always the same distance apart.

Parallelogram A quadrilateral with two pairs of parallel sides.

Pentagon A five sided polygon.

Perimeter The distance around a shape.

Perpendicular Two or more lines which meet at right angles.

Pi (Π) An irrational constant used when calculating the area and circumference of circles. It
is approximately equal to 3.14.

Polygon A shape made from straight lines.

Positive number A number greater than zero.

Prime A number which has exactly two factors. The number one and itself.

Prism A 3D shape with the same cross section all along its length.

Probability A measure of how likely an event is to occur.

Product The answer when two values are multiplied together.

Quadratic equation An equation where the highest power is two. For example x² + 4x + 6
= 0 is a quadratic equation.

Quadrilateral A four sided polygon.

Radius The distance from the centre of a circle to its circumference. The plural of radius is
radii.

Random sampling A method of choosing people at random for a survey.

Range The largest number take away the smallest value in a set of data.

Rational A decimal number which ends or is recurring.

Reciprocal The reciprocal of any number is 1 divided by the number. E.g. the reciprocal of
3 is 1/3., the reciprocal of 3/4 is 4/3.

Recurring A decimal which never ends but repeats all or parts of the sequence of numbers
after the decimal point. E.g 0.333333 or 0.141414.

Reflex angle An angle greater than 180 .

Regular A shape with all sides and angles the same size.

Remainder The amount left over when a number cannot be divided exactly. For example,
21 divided by 4 is 5 remainder 1.

Right angle An angle of 90 .

Rotation To turn a shape using an angle, direction and centre of rotation.

Round To reduce the amount of significant figures or decimal places a number has. For
example £178 rounded to the nearest £10 is £180.

Scale factor How many times larger or smaller an enlarged shape will be.

Segment An area of a circle enclosed by a chord.

Sequence A list of numbers which follows a pattern. For example 6, 11, 16, 21, ...

Simplify To write a sum, expression or ratio in its lowest terms. For example 4:10:6 can be
simplified to 2:5:3.

Solid A 3D shape.

Solve To find the missing value in an equation.

Speed How fast an object is moving. Average speed = Total distance divided by time taken.
Square number The product when an integer is multiplied by itself. For example, 1, 4, 9,
16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100.

Sum The answer when two or more values are added together.

Surface area To total area of all sides on a 3D shape.

Symmetrical A shape which has at least one line of symmetry.

Tally A system of counting where every group of four vertical lines is followed by a
horizontal line to easily count in steps of five.

Tangent A straight line that just touches a point on a curve. A tangent to a circle is
perpendicular to the radius which meets the tangent.

Term A number, variable or combination of both which forms part of an expression.

Transformation The collective name for reflections, rotations, translations and

enlargements.

Translation To move a shape from one position to another by sliding in the x-axis followed
by the y-axis.

Trapezium A quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides.

Tree diagram A method of solving probability questions by listing all the outcomes of an
event. Probabilities are calculated by multiplying down the branches.

Triangle A three sided polygon.

Triangular number A sequence of numbers generated by adding one more than was
added to find the previous term. For example, 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, ...

Units A quantity used to describe a measurement. Examples are kilograms, metres and
centilitres.
Upper range The largest value in a set of data.

Value A numerical amount or quantity.

Variable A letter which we don't know the value of.

Volume The amount an object can hold. E.g. a bottle of cola has a volume of 2 litres.

Week A time period of 7 days.

Wide Used to describe the width of something

Width The distance from side to side. E.g. 'The swimming pool is 10 metres wide.'

X-Axis The horizontal axis on a graph. The line going across the page.

Y-Axis The vertical axis on a graph. The line going from top to bottom.

Y-Intercept The value of the y-coordinate when a graph crosses the y-axis.

Year A time period of 12 months or 365 days. (366 in a leap year.)

Z-Axis Represents the depth of an object when working with 3D coordinates.