Math Language · View all words

to find an answer using numbers

“Calculate the total cost before you pay.”

a number found by dividing a total by how many values there are

“The average score increased this semester.”

a mathematical statement showing two things are equal

“Solve the equation for x.”

a part or share compared with the whole

“A large proportion of students chose biology.”

to guess an amount based on available information

“Estimate the answer before calculating exactly.”

to increase a number by adding it repeatedly

“Multiply seven by eight.”

a number that represents part of a whole

“One half is a simple fraction.”

the study of shapes, lines, and spaces

“Geometry helps students understand angles.”

the process of putting numbers together

“The addition of these two numbers gives you the total cost.”

the process of taking one number from another

“Subtraction can be tricky when borrowing from the next column.”

the process of splitting into equal parts

“Division of 12 by 3 gives us 4.”

a number expressed as parts of one hundred

“Only a small percentage of students missed the exam.”

a comparison between two amounts

“The ratio of flour to sugar in this recipe is three to one.”

a number written with a point to show parts less than one

“The decimal 3.25 is the same as three and one-quarter.”

a whole number that can be positive, negative, or zero

“The integer -7 is less than the integer 3.”

a letter or symbol representing an unknown number

“In the equation 2x + 5 = 13, x is a variable.”

a value that does not change

“The constant π always equals approximately 3.14159.”

a number multiplying a variable

“In the expression 5y, the coefficient is 5.”

the space between two lines that meet

“The two walls meet at a ninety-degree angle in the corner of the room.”

a shape with three sides

“A triangle has three sides and three angles.”

a shape with four sides and four right angles

“The garden was shaped like a rectangle with a fence around it.”

a round shape where every point is equally far from the center

“A circle is the most common shape found in nature.”

the distance from the center of a circle to its edge

“The radius of the circle measured five centimeters from the center to the edge.”

the distance across a circle through its center

“The diameter of the pizza was twelve inches across.”

the amount of surface inside a shape

“The area of the classroom was five hundred square feet.”

the distance around a shape

“We calculated the perimeter of the rectangular garden by measuring all four sides.”

a visual display of numerical information

“The graph showed how sales increased over the past year.”

a number showing position on a graph

“The coordinate on the x-axis told us how far right to move on the graph.”

to put numbers together

“If you add five and three together, you get eight.”

to take one number away from another

“When you subtract ten from twenty, you get ten.”

to split into equal parts

“We need to divide the pizza into eight equal slices.”

to find the answer to a problem

“She worked to solve the difficult equation step by step.”

to show that something is true

“She used a series of equations to prove that the angles were equal.”

to make an expression easier to use

“Let's simplify this fraction before we solve the rest of the problem.”

to replace one value with another

“You can substitute the number two for x in the equation.”

to change from one form or unit to another

“Can you convert these kilometers into miles for me?”

to change a number to a nearby simpler value

“You can round the total to the nearest dollar for simplicity.”

to mark points on a graph

“We had to plot the coordinates before drawing the line.”

the same in number, size, or value

“Both sides of the scale need to be equal for it to balance.”

not the same in number, size, or value

“The two sides of the triangle turned out to be unequal.”

greater than zero

“A positive number is any number greater than zero.”

less than zero

“A negative number like minus five is less than zero.”

forming or related to a straight line

“The linear relationship between hours studied and test scores was clear.”

lines that never meet

“The parallel railroad tracks never meet each other.”

meeting at a right angle

“The perpendicular walls of the building met at a right angle.”

flat from left to right

“Draw a horizontal line across the top of the graph.”

upright from top to bottom

“The vertical line on the wall goes straight up and down.”

close to the correct value but not exact

“The approximate time of arrival was around three o'clock.”

having the same value

“Half a cup is equivalent to eight tablespoons.”

related to numbers

“The report included several numerical values to support the findings.”