Ultimate Guide to Whole Numbers

Introduction
Whole numbers are simple numbers that you use every day to count things, like
apples, toys, and money. In this guide, you will learn what whole numbers are, how
they work, their applications into the real world, and how you can use them to
compare, order, and round numbers easily.

What Are Whole Numbers?

Whole numbers are numbers that start from zero and continue infinitely in the
positive direction (concepts of negative numbers will be covered at the secondary
level). Whole numbers include numbers like 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. Whole
numbers do not include fractions, decimals, or negative numbers.

The History of Whole Numbers

Whole numbers have been used by humans for thousands of years! The earliest
number systems were created by ancient civilizations to help with trade, farming, and
construction. The ancient Mayans, Egyptians and Babylonians used simple counting
systems, while the Romans had Roman numerals (I, II, III, IV, etc.).

Roman Numerals (900 B.C.) Babylonian Numerals (2000 B.C.)

Egyptian Numerals (3000 B.C.) Mayan Numerals (300 B.C.)

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The numeral digits we use today (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) are from the Hindu-
Arabic numeral system. This system was originally developed in India around the 5th
century A.D. and later transmitted to the Islamic world, where it was refined and
spread further.

By the 10th century, Arab mathematicians, such as Al-Khwarizmi, helped popularise

these numerals and introduce them to Europe through their mathematical texts.
Europeans later adopted the system, referring to it as "Arabic numerals" because
they learned it from Arab scholars. Over time, these numerals became the standard
numerical system used worldwide due to their efficiency in arithmetic and positional
notation.

Uses of Whole Numbers

Whole numbers are used in many real-life situations, including but not limited to:
• Counting objects (e.g., the number of apples in a basket, books on a shelf,
cars in a parking lot)

• Labelling items (e.g., numbering houses on a street, room numbers in a

building, bus numbers, dates)

• Measuring quantities (e.g., number of steps taken, litres of milk in a carton,

weight in kilograms, duration in time)

• Keeping track of scores (e.g., points in a football game, marks in an exam,

number of goals scored in a match)

Place and Value

Understanding place value is crucial for working with whole numbers. It helps us
determine the true value of each digit in a number based on its position.

Place Value and Its Importance

Place value refers to the position of a digit in a number and the value it holds in that
position. Each place in a number represents a power of ten.

For example, in the number 4 285:

• 4 is in the thousands place, so its value is 4 000.
• 2 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 200.
• 8 is in the tens place, so its value is 80.
• 5 is in the ones place, so its value is 5.

Thus, the number 4 285 is actually a combination of the following values:

4 000 + 200 + 80 + 5

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Place Value Chart
A place value chart helps in identifying the value of digits within a number.

Millions Hundred Ten Thousands Hundreds Tens Ones

Thousands Thousands

1 000 000 100 000 10 000 1 000 100 10 1

Example: The number 4 376 285 is placed in the chart as follows:

Millions Hundred Ten Thousands Hundreds Tens Ones

Thousands Thousands

4 000 000 300 000 70 000 6000 200 80 5

Expanded Form
Expanded form expresses a number as the sum of its digits based on place value.

Example:
• 5,263 = 5,000 + 200 + 60 + 3
• 89,147 = 80,000 + 9,000 + 100 + 40 + 7

Comparing Place Values

A digit in a higher place always has a greater value than the same digit in a lower
place.

Example:
• In the number 5,555, the first 5 represents 5 000, while the last 5 represents
5.

Real-Life Applications of Place Value

1. Money – Understanding place value helps with counting money, as currency
is based on a place value system.

2. Reading Large Numbers – Used in population counts, distances, and

scientific data.

3. Measurements – Understanding metric units and their conversions.

4. Banking and Finance – Keeping track of large sums in bank accounts and
transactions.

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Is Zero (0) a Whole Number?
Yes, zero (0) is the smallest whole number. Another subgroup of whole numbers,
called Natural Numbers (positive whole numbers), does not include zero.

Natural Numbers

Whole Numbers

The Number Zero (0)

Zero is one of the most important discoveries in number history. Ancient
mathematicians in India introduced zero as a number around the 5th century, and it
spread to the rest of the world through Arabic mathematicians. Today, zero is a
fundamental part of mathematics and helps you write and use numbers more easily.

Zero is a unique and important number in mathematics. It is the smallest whole

number and acts as a placeholder in our number system. Without zero, it would be
difficult to write and interpret large numbers. For example, in numerals, the number
one hundred is written as ‘100’. The zeroes on the right−hand−side function as place
holders for the ones and tens places. Without the zeroes, the number becomes ‘1’.

Zero plays several important roles in Mathematics:

• As a Placeholder: In numbers like 105 or 302, zero helps indicate place
value and differentiate between different magnitudes.

• As a Starting Point on a Number Line: Zero is the point that separates

positive and negative numbers. Zero is neither positive nor negative; zero is
neutral.

Dividing Zero and Dividing by Zero

What Happens When You Divide Zero by Another Whole Number?

Zero divided by any nonzero whole number always results in zero.

• Example 1: 0 ÷ 5 = 0

• Example 2: 0 ÷ 12 = 0

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This happens because division represents how many times one number can be
evenly distributed into another. Since zero contains nothing, no matter how many
groups we divide it into, each group will still have nothing.

What Happens When You Divide a Whole Number by Zero?

Dividing any whole number by zero is undefined because it does not produce a
meaningful or possible result.

• Example: 6 ÷ 0 = undefined

Mathematically, division by zero does not work because there is no number that can
be multiplied by zero to give a nonzero number. Study the following.

Since 3 × 4 = 12, we have 12 ÷ 3 = 4.

Apply the above to this problem: Since 0 × __ = 12, we have 12 ÷ 0 = __ .

This number does not exist!

See that there isn’t any number that can be written in the space because any
number multiplied by 0 is always 0. There isn’t a number that exists such that when
multiplied to 0, gives us a value of 12. Since this contradiction exists, division by zero
is not possible.

Some people have the misconception that when a number is divided by 0, the
answer is infinity. But as explained previously, infinity is not a real number but an
idea. And so infinity cannot the answer. In real life, dividing by zero does not have a
logical interpretation. For example, if you try to divide 6 apples into zero groups,
there is no logical way to arrange them. This is why calculators show an error when
you attempt to divide by zero. It does not mean the answer is infinity!

Now think:
If
1 ÷ 1 = 1,
2 ÷ 2 = 1,
3 ÷ 3 = 1,
4 ÷ 4 = 1, …

What is the result of 0 ÷ 0? Why?

Zero in Real Life

• It is used in temperature scales (0°C represents the freezing point of water
such that water will freeze when the surrounding temperature is 0°C or
below).

• It is used in coding and digital systems, where computers operate using

binary digits (0 and 1).

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• It is used to represent “nothingness”. Example when there is no money in a
bank account, the bank statement would show ‘$0’. When a sports team has
yet to make any scores, the score for the team would reflect as ‘0’.

Whole Numbers and Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers indicate position or order in a sequence rather than quantity.
Whole numbers play a crucial role in forming ordinal numbers.

What Are Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers describe rank or position in a list. Examples include:
• 1st (first)
• 2nd (second)
• 3rd (third)
• 4th (fourth), 5th (fifth), 6th (sixth), etc.

Ordinal numbers are used in:

• Competitions (e.g., "She finished in 1st place.", "He came 3rd in the race.")

• Dates (e.g., "Today is the 5th of June.", "Her birthday is on the 12th of
October.")

• Class rankings (e.g., "He is ranked 10th in his class.", "She scored 2nd
highest in the test.")

• Instructions (e.g., "Firstly … , Secondly …, etc”, "Turn left at the 3rd traffic
light.")

Comparing and Ordering Whole Numbers

When working with whole numbers, you may need to compare them to determine
which number is greater or smaller. You may also need to arrange them in order from
smallest to largest or vice versa.

Comparing Whole Numbers

To compare whole numbers, follow these steps:
1. Count the digits: The number with more digits is always larger.

Example: 523 is greater than 78 because 523 has three digits while 78 has
only two.

2. Compare digits from left to right: If two numbers have the same number of
digits, compare them digit by digit from left to right.

Example: Compare 365 and 372.

▪ Both numbers have three digits.
▪ Compare the first digit: 3 = 3 (same)

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 ▪ Compare the second digit: 6 is less than 7
▪ Since 6 is smaller than 7, we conclude that 365 is less than
372.

Ordering Whole Numbers

When arranging numbers in order, you can use ascending or descending order.
• Ascending order: Numbers are arranged from smallest to largest.
Example: 23, 45, 89, 102
• Descending order: Numbers are arranged from largest to smallest.
Example: 987, 560, 432, 201

Sample Exam Question:

Arrange 2144, 2130, 829, 2890 in ascending order.

Solution:
1. Identify the smallest number: 829 (It has the least number of digits.)
2. Comparing the rest, we see that each of them has ‘2’ in the thousands place.
3. Now we compare the hundreds place and observe that 2890 is the largest.
4. Now we compare the tens place and observe that 2144 is larger than 2130.

The numbers in ascending order are 829, 2130, 2144, 2890. (Ans)

How to Round Off Whole Numbers

Rounding numbers makes them easier to work with by approximating them to the
nearest ten, hundred, or thousand.

Rules for Rounding

1. Identify the place value you are rounding to (tens, hundreds, thousands,
etc.).

2. Look at the digit to the right of the rounding place:

o If the digit is 5 or more, round up.
o If the digit is 4 or less, round down.

Examples:

Rounding to the Nearest Ten

• 237 → The tens place is 3, and the next digit is 7 (which is 5 or more), so
round up to 240.

• 682 → The tens place is 8, and the next digit is 2 (which is less than 5), so
round down to 680.

Rounding to the Nearest Hundred

• 564 → The hundreds place is 5, and the next digit is 6 (which is 5 or more), so
round up to 600.

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 • 432 → The hundreds place is 4, and the next digit is 3 (which is less than 5),
so round down to 400.

Rounding to the Nearest Thousand

• 7 826 → The thousands place is 7, and the next digit is 8 (which is 5 or more),
so round up to 8 000.

• 3 241 → The thousands place is 3, and the next digit is 2 (which is less than
5), so round down to 3 000.

Sample Exam Question:

A number when rounded off to the nearest thousands place is 57 000. What is the
(i) smallest possible number,
(ii) largest possible number?

Solution:

Since the rounding off method is by thousands, we draw a number line, showing the
thousands that comes before and after 57 000.

round up to round down to

56 000 57000 58 000

56 500 57 499

See that the all the numbers from 56 500 to 56 999 will be rounded up to 57 000,
and all the numbers from 57 001 to 57 499 will be rounded down to 57 000.

Ans: (i) 56 500; (ii) 57 499

Note: The largest possible number cannot be 57 500 because this number will be
rounded up to 58 000 when rounded to the nearest thousand.

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Everyday Uses of Rounding Off
Rounding off is a way to make numbers simpler while keeping them close to the
actual value. We use rounding in everyday life to save time and make calculations
easier. Here are some examples:

1. Shopping
If something costs $9.75, you might round it to $10 to estimate how much money
you need.

2. Time
If the time is 3:58 PM, you might say "It is about 4 o’clock" instead of giving the
exact time.

3. Distances
If your school is 1.97 km away, you might say "about 2 km" instead of the exact
number.

4. Counting People
If there are 198 people at a party, you might say "about 200 people" because it
is easier to understand.

5. Cooking
If a recipe says to use 99 g of sugar, you might round it to 100 g for
convenience.

Rounding helps us make quick and easy estimates in real life.

Conclusion
Whole numbers are an essential part of everyday life, helping us count, measure,
and compare things with ease. From their historical origins in ancient civilisations to
their practical applications in shopping, timekeeping, and measurement, whole
numbers are the foundation of mathematics. Understanding concepts like rounding,
ordering, and comparing numbers allows us to simplify calculations and make better
estimates. By mastering whole numbers, we develop strong numerical skills that are
useful in both academic and real-world situations.

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