Page 16 - Appplied Mathematics for the Petroleum and Other Industries, 5th Edition

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The Number System

OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of chapter 1, the student, without using a calculator, will be
able to—

1. Convert numbers that are written out into digits in their proper places.
2. Convert numbers from one unit into another given unit.
3. Add and subtract whole numbers.
4. Multiply and divide whole numbers.
5. Determine whether a word problem requires addition, subtraction, multi-
plication, or division.
6. Find the lowest common denominator of a group of fractions.
7. Reduce a common fraction to its lowest terms.
8. Add and subtract common fractions.
9. Multiply and divide common fractions.
10. Add and subtract mixed numbers.
11. Multiply and divide mixed numbers.
12. Add and subtract decimal fractions.
13. Multiply and divide decimal fractions.
14. Convert common fractions into decimal fractions and decimal fractions
into common fractions.
15. Find the square root of a number.
16. Calculate the quantity of a number squared or raised to another power.

INTRODUCTION
Imagine that you are a lone hunter for your tribe on the plains of Africa, thousands
of years ago. You have spotted a herd of gazelles that will, if you can successfully
bring a few of them down, provide food for your family and your tribe for several
days. Since you cannot effectively hunt the gazelles alone, you need to find your
fellow hunters and get their help. You realize that your friends will want to know
how many gazelles are in the herd, so you begin counting them. You count to
Petroleum Extension-The University of Texas at Austin
ten using ten fingers; then, you start over and count to ten again. Finally, you
count three more on your fingers. You can now tell your fellow hunters that the
herd is made up of two tens and three gazelles, which is large enough to bring
them running to help.
This very short story illustrates that early humans could easily count to
ten using ten fingers. Then, they could start over and count to ten again. And,
when they counted to ten, ten times, they had counted to one hundred. Besides
remembering the count, they could also scratch straight lines into the dirt or
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