Secondary 1 Mathematics

Chapter 1 Real Numbers

Practice 1

History of Real Numbers

In legends, the first use of numbers traces all the way back to 35 000 B.C.
Numerical representation was needed for various purposes (e.g. to keep track
of the goods bought and sold, determine the amount of property ownership etc).
People in the past kept track of quantities using tally marks.

Tally marks used in Europe, North

America and some parts of Asia Pacific.
Tally marks used in China, Japan and
Korea
The Egyptian number system favours the use of picture symbols to represent numerals.
This number system uses bases of 10.
1 10 100 1000 10 000 100 000 1 000 000

Staff Arch Coiled rope Flower Bent finger Tadpole Astonished man
The Roman number system used letter symbols for numerals. These symbols are still
commonly used today in clocks faces, successive political leaders or children with identical names
and the numbering of annual events.
Symbol I V X L C D M
Number 1 5 10 50 100 500 1000
The Addition Rule:
The Roman numeration system is based on an additive system in which symbols do not
have place values. This means that a numeral is the total sum of the numbers represented by each
symbol. Hence, II = 2, VIII = 8, XVII = 17, XXXVIII = 38.
The Subtraction Rule:
The subtraction rule states that when a smaller numeral is placed
Learning on the left of a larger
Objectives:
To provide an aim for
numeral, the smaller numeral has to be subtracted from the larger numeral. For example, 45 is
students to achieve at
written as XLV (−10 + 50 + 5 =45) instead of XXXXV.
the end of each lesson.

• Identifying integers, rational numbers, natural numbers, whole numbers and real numbers;
• Representing numbers on a number line;
• Perform the four operations on positive and negative integers correctly.

S1 | Chapter 1 Real Numbers | Practice 1

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Introduction to the world of real numbers
 Natural numbers are numbers we use for counting. {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
 Whole numbers include the number zero. {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
 Negative integers are numbers smaller than zero. {−1, − 2, − 3, − 4, − 5, − 6}
 Positive integers are numbers greater than zero. {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
 Zero, 0, is an integer that is neither positive nor negative.
a
 Rational numbers are numbers which can be expressed in the form of , where a and b
b
 22 2 4
are integers, and b ≠ 0 . Eg:  , , − 
7 3 5
2 7 5
o All integers, Eg:  , − , 
1 1 1
3 • 1
o All terminating or repeating decimals, Eg: 0.375
= =, 0.3
8 3
a
 Irrational numbers are numbers which cannot be expressed in the form of , where a
Summary: b
An overview of key concepts
and b are integers, and b ≠ 0 . They are non-terminating and non-repeating decimals.
is provided to strengthen
Eg: π, e, 2, 5 etc. student’s understanding.

Real Numbers, ℝ
• The set of rational and irrational numbers

Rational Numbers, ℚ Irrational Numbers

• Numbers which can be expres sed • Numbers which cannot be expressed in
a a
in the form of , where a and b are the form of , where a and b are
b b
integers, and b ≠ 0 . integers, and b ≠ 0
• Examples are: π,e, 2, 5, etc.

Integers, 
• Consists of positive and negative Fractions
integers, and zero 22 1 3 5
• Examples are: , , , etc.
•  = {..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...} 7 2 4 12

Negative Integers,  − Zero Positive Integers,  +

•  − = {-1, -2, -3, ...} • Also known as natural numbers, ℕ
•  + = {1, 2, 3, ...}

Whole numbers

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Number line

-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5

Negative Integers Positive Integers / Natural Numbers

Numbers which are smaller in values will be to the left and numbers with greater values will be
to the right of the number line.

Representing the numbers −2, − 10, 0, 1, 3 on a number line will be as follows:

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

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 Example 1
Evaluate the following without using a calculator.
a) 13 + 22 b) 17 − 8 c) 4 − 9 d) −13 − 6

Solution:
a) 13 + 22 =
35 b) 17 − 8 =9
+ 22 -8

13 35 9 17

c) 4 − 9 =−5 d) − 13 − 6 =−19
-9 -6

-5 4 -19 -13
Teachers will go through
examples in details to bring
across key concepts.

Example 2
Evaluate the following without using a calculator.
a) −12 + ( −10 ) b) −6 + ( −14 ) c) −8 − ( −9 ) d) −11 − ( −10 )

Solution:
a) − 12 + ( −10 ) =−12 − 10 =−22 b) − 6 + ( −14 ) =−6 − 14 =−20
-10 -14

-22 -12 -20 -6

c) − 8 − ( −9 ) =−8 + 9 =1 d) − 11 − ( −10 ) =−11 + 10 =−1

+9 + 10

-8 1 -11 -1

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Multiplication of Integers
Rules for signs: Examples
(+)× (+) = (+) 5× 3 =15
( −) × (−) = ( +) ( −5) × ( −3) =15
( +) × ( −) = ( −) 5 × ( −3) =−15
( −) × (+) = (−) ( −5) × 3 =−15

Division of Integers
Rules for signs: Examples
(+) ÷ (+) = (+) 15 ÷ 3 =5
( −) ÷ ( −) = ( +) ( −15) ÷ ( −3) =5
( +) ÷ ( −) = ( −) 15 ÷ ( −3) =−5
( −) ÷ ( +) = ( −) ( −15) ÷ 3 =−5

Example 3
Evaluate the following.
a) 6 × ( −5) b) ( −2 ) × ( −7 )
c) 112 ( −6 )
2
d)
e) 83 ( −1)
3
f)
g) ( −7 ) × 3 − ( −2 ) × 4 h) ( −11 + 10 ) × ( −3)

Solution:
a) 6 × ( −5) =−30 b) ( −2 ) × ( −7 ) =14

( −6 ) = ( −6 ) × ( −6 )
2 2
c) 11= 11 × 11 d)
= 121 = 36

e) 83 = 8 × 8 × 8 f) ( −1) = ( −1) × ( −1) × ( −1)

3

= 512 = −1

g) ( −7 ) × 3 − ( −2 ) × 4 = ( −21) − ( −8 ) h) ( −11 + 10 ) × ( −3) = ( −1) × ( −3)

= −21 + 8 =3
= −13

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 Example 4
Evaluate the following.
a) ( −21) ÷ ( −3) b) 125 ÷ ( −5)
c) 0 ÷ ( −267 ) d) 987 ÷ 0

Solution:
a) ( −21) ÷ ( −3) =7 b) 125 ÷ ( −5) =−25

c) 0 ÷ ( −267 ) =0 d) 987 ÷ 0 =∞

Exercise
1) Arrange the following in ascending order.
3
2 7 3  2
a) , 0.008, − , ,  − 
5 8 7  3
1
b) − 3 216 , − , ( −2 ) , 0, − 49
3

3
157 π • • • 11
c) − , , − 0.785, − 0.78,
200 4 4

2) Write down all the rational numbers in descending order.

( 7 ) , 0.7, 25π 7
( ) 7 2
3 4
, − , 81 , 7 + 1, − 7, , −1
112 81 9 7

3) Use a calculator to evaluate each of the following.

2
a) 742 − 702  3
b) 15 625 −  −1 
3

 8
3
 3  7  7  4  7 4 5
c)  −7 −  −7   d) × −  ÷ − × −
 5  10   8  3  8 6 7

3 4 7 1 3 2 1 8
e) × − × f)  +  − ÷ 3
5 9 9 3 4 9 5 125

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No calculators allowed for Questions 6 and 7. Proper workings must be shown.
4) Evaluate each of the following.
 3  1     1   5 
a)   +  −1   × 4 + ( −49 )  ÷ 15 ×  −  ÷  −  
 8  4     3   8 
 1  2    23  1  1   
b)  −  −   ÷ − ÷ 3 −  −2   
 2  5    30  2  4   
 3  1   1 1  1 
c)  −3  × 2  ×  − 3 − 3 −− 
 5  2   −27 8  144  
 1  3   1    169 3 125 
d)  +  −  ×  −1   ÷  − × 
 4  4   4    100 512 

S1 | Chapter 1 Real Numbers | Practice 1

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