TED Ed: A Brief History of Numerical Systems

What did different civilizations use to record larger quantities?

• Roman Numerals

• Tally Marks

• Body Parts (such as fingers)

• Egyptian Numerals

What is the most common characteristic of early numerical systems?

• The order or placement of the symbols used to write numbers does not matter

• They are positional systems

• They used the same symbols to represent numbers

• They are all base 10

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What innovation did the Roman numerals use?

• They had many symbols for larger magnitudes

• They had new symbols for bigger numbers (like C for 100 and M for 1,000)

• Depending on their position, numerals could be added or subtracted

• They made it easier to write big numbers

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Which civilization developed positional notation for its numerical system?

• The Babylonians

• The ancient Chinese

• The Aztecs

• The Indians

• All of the above

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Why was the number zero an important addition to number systems?

• It is the final tenth symbol needed for the numeration system to be complete

• It is necessary to write ever bigger numbers

• It is useful as a value and a placeholder to keep the notation consistent

• It is a good symbol for “nothing”

What other bases, besides 10, can be used to express numerical quantities?

• Base 20, and base 60

• Base 2, base 8, and base 16

• Base 12

• All of the above

When are bases 2, 8, and 16 used in our daily life? (Pick 2)

A) When we measure time

B) When we program

C) When we measure angles

D) When we use our digital devices

• A and C

• B and D

• B and C

• A and D