Math Terms
Common math terms in elementary education
Math terms are essential for understanding
mathematicals. They can be found in abundance online and in
mathematics dictionaries. There are several basic math terms
that are important for children to understand. These and other
common terms will prove very useful in the study of mathematics.
Here is a sample of these important math terms:
Average - a way to describe a sample of data with one number.
In order to find an average, you must divide the sum of a
group of numbers by the amount of numbers in the group being
used. You can apply this term with children in a practical
exercise. Tell them to imagine that they are having a party
for which they will be baking cupcakes. Tell them to imagine
that they have four friends, each of whom eat a different
amount of cupcakes- 4, 5, 3 and 2 cupcakes respectively. Now
find the average: 4 + 5 + 3 + 2 = 14. 14 divided by 4 is 3.5.
So, each party guest eats an average of 3.5 cupcakes.
Constant - a symbol that only has one given value at any time.
The number 3 is a constant, as it can only be 3 at any time.
Symbols can also be constants that play important roles in
both scientific and mathematical formulas. For instance, the
three sides of a triangle- known as, a, b, and c, with a and
b being the sides and c being the hypotenuse, are constants.
They will always play the same role when calculating the area
of a triangle. This does not necessarily mean that a, b, and
c will always have the same numerical value but instead that
they will always play the same role in a mathematical equation.
Irrational Number - a number that cannot be expressed as a
fraction. These numbers are usually expressed as decimals
that go on forever without repeating in a pattern. The most
classic example of an irrational number is p, or Pi. Pi is
the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter
and equals 3.1415...
Integer- An integer is any whole number, including zero and
negative numbers.
These and other common math terms will prove very useful to
your child in the study of mathematics.
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