0580
Number Toolkit
Number
Symbols to recognise
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| = | is equal to | 4x + 1 = 9 |
| ≠ | is not equal to | 5 − 2 ≠ 2 − 5 |
| ≈ | is approximately equal to | π ≈ 3.14 |
| ≡ | is identically equal to | 6x + 9 ≡ 3(2x + 3) |
| > | is greater than | 7 > −1 |
| < | is less than | −4 < 0 |
| ⩾ | is greater than or equal to | x ⩾ 2 |
| ⩽ | is less than or equal to | x ⩽ 10 |
| ± | plus or minus | x = 4 ± 3 means x = 7 or x = 1 |
- Brackets group part of a calculation so it is carried out first
- Indices, also called powers, show repeated multiplication: 2⁵ = 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32
- An identity written with ≡ holds for every value of the letter, whereas an equation written with = holds only for particular values
Words used for the four operations
| Operation | Words used in questions |
|---|---|
| Addition | total, sum, plus, increase by |
| Subtraction | take away, difference, less than, minus |
| Multiplication | product, lots of, times |
| Division | share, per, quotient, divide |