Math Vocabulary Essentials

Understanding fractions starts with knowing their parts. The numerator sits at the top of a fraction, while the denominator is the bottom part below the line. When the numerator is larger than the denominator, you have an improper fraction. A mixed fraction combines a whole number with a fractional piece.

Working with fractions often involves finding a common denominator - the same number that divides multiple quotients. The least common denominator is the smallest integer divisible by two or more integers. The reciprocal of a fraction is simply that fraction flipped upside down.

When organizing numbers, ascending order arranges values from smallest to largest, while descending order goes from largest to smallest. Percent represents a value per hundred, and a ratio shows the relationship between two amounts.

Math Tip: When you see financial terms in word problems, remember that mark-up adds to cost, discount subtracts from selling price, and tax is an additional percentage added for government funding.

In expressions with exponents, the base is the factor before the exponent, and the exponent indicates how many times the base is multiplied by itself. Parentheses can also serve as a base in certain expressions.