GLOSSARY 311degree (symbol °) (1) A
measure of the size of a
turn or angle. A full turn is
360 degrees. (2) A unit on
a temperature scale.denominator The lower
number in a fraction, such
as the 4 in^3 ⁄ 4.diagonal (1) A straight line
that isn’t vertical or horizontal.
(2) Inside a shape, a diagonal
is any line joining two corners,
or vertices, that aren’t
adjacent.diameter A straight line from
one side of a circle or sphere
to the other that goes through
the centre.digit A single number from 0
to 9. Digits also make up
larger numbers. For example,
58 is made up of the digits 5
and 8.distributive law The law that
says, for example, 2 × (3 + 4) is
the same as (2 × 3) + (2 × 4).dividend The number to be
divided in a division calculation.divisor The number you
are dividing by in a division
calculation.equation A statement in
maths that something equals
something else, for example
2 + 2 = 4equilateral triangle A triangle
with all three sides and all
three angles the same.equivalent fraction A fraction
that is the same as another
fraction though it’s written in
a different way. For example,(^2) ⁄ 4 is equal to (^1) ⁄ 2.
estimating Finding an
answer that’s close to the
correct answer, often by
rounding one or more
numbers up or down.
face Any flat surface of a 3D
shape.
factor A whole number that
divides exactly into another
number. For example, 4 and 6
are factors of 12.
factor pair Any two numbers
that make a larger number
when multiplied together.
Fahrenheit scale A scale of
temperature. Water boils at
212 degrees on this scale.
formula A rule or statement
that is written using
mathematical symbols.
fraction A number that is not
a whole number, for example
(^1) ⁄ 2 , (^1) ⁄ 4 , or (^10) ⁄ 3.
frequency (1) How often
something happens. (2)
In statistics, how many
individuals or things have a
particular feature in common.
gram (g) A unit of mass, a
thousandth of a kilogram.
greatest common factor
Another name for highest
common factor.
grid method A way of
multiplying using a grid
drawn on paper.
highest common factor
(HCF) The highest factor that
two or more numbers have in
common. For example, 8 is
the highest common factor of
24 and 32.
horizontal Level and going
from one side to the other,
rather than up and down.
image A shape that’s the
mirror-image reflection of
another shape, called the
pre-image.
imperial units Traditional
measuring units such as the
foot, mile, gallon, and ounce.
In science and maths, they
have been replaced by metric
units, which are easier to
calculate with.
improper fraction A
fraction that is greater than 1,
for example^5 ⁄ 2 , which can
also be written as the mixed
number 2^1 ⁄ 2. See mixed
number.
intersect To meet or cross over
(used of lines and shapes).
isosceles triangle A triangle
with two sides the same length
and two angles the same size.
kilogram (kg) The main unit
of mass in the metric system,
equal to 1000 grams.
kilometre (km) A metric unit of
length, equal to 1000 metres.
lattice method A method of
multiplying using a grid with
diagonal lines on it.
line graph A diagram that
shows data as points joined
by straight lines. It’s good for
showing how measurements
such as temperature can
change over time.
line of reflection Also called
the mirror line, a line exactly
midway between an object
and its reflection.
line of symmetry An
imaginary line through a
2D shape that divides it into
two identical halves. Some
shapes have no line of
symmetry, while others
have several.
litre (l) A metric unit for
measuring capacity.
long division A way of
dividing by larger numbers
that involves doing the
calculation in stages.
long multiplication A written
method for multiplying
numbers with two or more
digits. It involves doing the
calculation in stages.
lowest common
denominator The lowest
common multiple of the
denominators of different
fractions. See denominator.
lowest common multiple
The lowest number that is a
common multiple of other given
numbers. For example, 24 is
a common multiple of 2, 4,
and 6, but 12 is their lowest
common multiple. See multiple
and common multiple.
mass The amount of matter
in an object. See weight.
mean An average found by
adding up the values in a set
of data and dividing by the
number of values.
median The middle value of
a set of data, when the values
are put in order from lowest
to highest.
metre (m) The main unit of
length in the metric system,
equal to 100 centimetres.
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