336 Appendix C
associative property A property of addition or multiplication that says that when adding or
multiplying more than two numbers you may group them in different ways without changing the
result.
base angles The angles at each end of the base, or noncongruent side, of an isosceles triangle.
binary operation A process that works on two numbers at a time.
binary system A place value system based on the number two.
canceling The process of simplifying a multiplication of fractions by dividing a numerator and
a denominator by a common factor.
center A point associated with a circle, from which all points of the circle are equidistant.
central angle An angle with its vertex at the center of a circle and sides that are radii.
chord A line segment that connects two points on a circle.
circle The collection of all points that sit at a certain distance, called the radius, from a set
point, called the center, forms the shape called a circle.
circumference The distance around a circle.
circumscribed A polygon is circumscribed about a circle if the polygon surrounds the circle
with each side tangent to the circle.
common denominator A multiple of the denominators of two or more fractions.
common fraction Fractions written as a quotient of two integers.
commutative property A property of addition or multiplication that says that reversing the
order of the two numbers will not change the result.
compatible numbers Two numbers that add to ten.
complementary angles A pair of angles whose measurements total 90s.
composite number A whole number that is not prime because it has factors other than itself
and 1.
concave polygon A polygon in which one or more diagonals falls outside the polygon.
concentric circles Circles with the same center.
cone A solid with a circular base and a lateral surface that slopes to a point.
congruent Two segments are congruent if they are the same length. Two angles are congruent
if they have the same measure.