Maths Vocab
This is a list of some maths terms with their definition and an example. (More will be added soon)
| Term | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Angle | An angle that measures less than 90o. |
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| Area | The amount of space taken up by a 2D shape or surface. Area is measured in square units for example cm2 or m2. |
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| Array | A pictorial representation (rows or dots) to help children to understand multiplication and division. |
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BIDMAS or BODMAS |
The order to complete mathematical calculations. |
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Circumference |
The measurement all the way around the outside edge of a circle. |
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| Coordinates | Numbers that give you a position on a grid marked by how far along they are on the x axis and how far up or down they are on the y axis. Always write the x axis value first. |
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| Denominator | The bottom number of a fraction that tells you how many parts a shape or amount has been divided equally into. |
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| Diameter | The length of a straight line through the centre of a circle from one point on the circumference to another point. |
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| Divisor | The number you are dividing by. |
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Equilateral Triangle |
A triangle where all sides are the same length and all angles are the same size. |
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| Exchanging | Converting from one place value to another - a term used instead of "carrying" in addition and "borrowing" in subtraction. |
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| Factor | A whole number which will divide exactly into another number. |
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| Highest Common Factor (HCF) | The highest number that two or more whole numbers is divisible by. It could be easier if you listed all the factors of each number. |
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| Index (Plural: Indices) | Also know as "power", the index shows how many times the number is used in a multiplication. |
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| Isosceles Triangle | Triangles that have 2 sides of equal length and 2 angles of equal size. |
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| Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) | The lowest number that is a multiple of two or more numbers. |
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| Mean | An average measure that is calculated by adding all the values in a data set together and dividing it by the number of values there are. |
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| Median | An average measure that shows the middle value when a group of numbers is arranged in order of size. |
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| Mode | An average measure that shows the value which appears most frequently in a set of data. |
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| Multiple | A number that can be divided by a whole number without remainders. |
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| Number Bonds | Pairs of numbers that add up to made a certain number. |
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| Numerator | The number on the top of a fraction that tells you how many parts you have. |  |
| Obtuse Angle | An angle that measures more than 90o but less than 180o. |
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| Partitioning | Expanding or breaking down a number into the individual values of each digit - this helps with understanding place value. |
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Perimeter |
The distance measured around the outside of a 2D shape. |
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Place Value |
The value of a digit within a number. |
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| Prime Number | Numbers that only have two factors which are 1 and the number itself. |
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| Radius | The measurement of a straight line from the centre of a circle to any point on the circumference of a circle. |
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| Range | An average measure that shows the difference between the highest and the lowest value in a data set. |
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| Ratio | A comparison between the amounts of different things. |
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| Reflex Angle | An angle that measures more than 180o but less than 360o. |
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Right Angle |
An angle that measures exactly 90o. |
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| Scalene Triangle | A triangle where all the sides are of different lengths and all the angles are different values but one of the angles measures more than 90o. |
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| Square Number | The value when a number is multiplied by itself. |
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| x axis |
The horizontal axis on a graph or grid. Remember: "X is a-cross". |
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| y axis | The vertical axis on a graph or grid. |
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