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By Crystal Greenfield
Natural numbers are positive whole numbers. They are the numbers used for counting objects so they are sometimes called “counting numbers”. The numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6………..are called natural numbers.
Why is this concept useful?
Where does this concept fit into the curriculum?
How can we use the concept:
Natural numbers are used to cook, tell time, give directions, organize, measure, and much more.
Try counting all the times natural numbers are used during the day. Was it more or less than expected?
Understanding what something is not can help explain what something is.
Natural numbers are not:
Fractions (between 0 and 1)
Decimals (between zero and 1)
Negative - (less than zero)
Natural Numbers are:
Whole
Positive + (more than zero)
1. Use natural numbers to count the number of * below.
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Solution: *1*2*3*4*5*6*7*8*9*10*11*12*13*14*15*16*17*18*19*20*21*22*23*24
There are 24 *
2. Choose the problem that can be solved using only natural numbers.
A: Roko is making a spice mix. The mix is 2 parts garlic powder, 1 part paprika and 1 part cayenne pepper. He wants to make 3 tablespoons of the spice. How many tablespoons of garlic powder should he use?
B: Logan is making a spice mix. The mix is 2 parts garlic powder, 1 part paprika and 1 part cayenne pepper. He wants to make 8 tablespoons of the spice. How many tablespoons of garlic powder should he use?
Solution
Analyzing problem A: The spice mix has 4 parts but Roko is only making 3 tablespoons. He will need to use a fraction of a tablespoon for the garlic powder. Fractions are not natural numbers so this problem cannot be solved using only natural numbers.
Analyzing problem B: The spice mix has 4 parts. Logan is making 8 tablespoons. 8 is twice as many as 4 so Logan can make 8 tablespoons of the mix by using tablespoons equal to twice the number of parts for each spice. Since each part is a whole number, twice the number of parts will also be a whole number. This problem can be solved using only natural numbers.
Problem B is the correct choice.
3. Choose the natural numbers in the set below.
1/10-Not a natural number because it is between 0 and 1
10 -Is a natural number because it is positive and whole
5.7- Not a natural number because it is not a whole number (.7 is between 0 and 1)
8/4-Is a natural number because it simplifies to 2 which is positive and whole so it is another way of writing a natural number
(9 - 5) Is a natural number because it simplifies to 4 which is positive and whole so it is another way of writing a natural number
(5 - 9) Not a natural number because it simplifies to -4 which is less than 0
4. Which situation will always result in a natural number?
A. Adding a natural number to another natural number
B. Subtracting a natural number from another natural number
Solution:
Analyzing A: If the addends are natural numbers they are already more than 0. Since the numbers are being added it will be impossible to get a result below 0. The sum has to be positive. Since the addends are whole numbers, the sum will also be a whole number. The sum will be positive and whole.
A is correct. Adding two natural numbers will always result in a natural number.
Analyzing B: If the minuend is less than the subtrahend then the difference between them will be less than 0. Natural numbers cannot be less than zero so it is possible to get a number that is not natural by subtracting two natural numbers.
Take advantage of our free downloadable resources and study materials for at-home learning.
One thing we teach our students at Thinkster is that there are multiple ways to solve a math problem. This helps our students learn to think flexibly and non-linearly.
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Get PDF1. Use natural numbers to count the number of * below.
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2. Choose the problem that can be solved using only natural numbers.
Problem A: Mehatp has $312 dollars in her bank account. She uses a debit card to buy a desk costing $228 dollars. How much money does she have left in her bank account?
Problem B: Ayana has $312 dollars in her bank account. She uses a debit card to buy a desk costing $423 dollars. How much money does she have left in her bank account?
3.
4. Which situation will always result in a natural number?
A. Dividing a natural number by another natural number
B. Multiplying a natural number by another natural number