Unit 1: Number System and Commercial Arithmetic
Number System
This unit covers the foundational concepts of different types of numbers and their properties.
Place Value and Face Value
- Face Value: The inherent value of a digit, regardless of its position in a number.
- Example: In the number 739, the face value of the digit '3' is simply 3.
- Place Value: The value of a digit based on its position (ones, tens, hundreds, etc.) in the number.
- Example: In the number 739, the place value of the digit '3' is 3 × 10 = 30.
Types of Numbers
- Natural Numbers (N): The set of counting numbers.
N = {1, 2, 3, 4, ...}
- Integers (Z): The set of all whole numbers and their negative counterparts.
Z = {..., -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...}
- Rational Numbers (Q): Any number that can be expressed as a fraction p/q, where 'p' and 'q' are integers and 'q' is not zero.
- Includes all integers (e.g., 5 = 5/1).
- Includes terminating decimals (e.g., 0.5 = 1/2).
- Includes repeating decimals (e.g., 0.333... = 1/3).
- Real Numbers (R): The set of all numbers on the number line. This includes all rational numbers and irrational numbers (numbers that cannot be expressed as a simple fraction, e.g., √2, π).
Basic Operations
HCF (Highest Common Factor)
Also known as the Greatest Common Divisor (GCD). It is the largest positive integer that divides two or more numbers without leaving a remainder.
Example: Find the HCF of 12 and 18.
- Prime factors of 12: 2 × 2 × 3
- Prime factors of 18: 2 × 3 × 3
- Common factors: 2, 3
- HCF = Product of common factors = 2 × 3 = 6
LCM (Lowest Common Multiple)
It is the smallest positive integer that is a multiple of two or more numbers.
Example: Find the LCM of 12 and 18.
- Prime factors of 12: 2² × 3¹
- Prime factors of 18: 2¹ × 3²
- Take the highest power of each prime factor present in either number: 2² and 3²
- LCM = 2² × 3² = 4 × 9 = 36
Important Formula: For any two positive integers 'a' and 'b':
HCF(a, b) × LCM(a, b) = a × b
Commercial Arithmetic
Ratio and Proportion
- Ratio: A comparison of two quantities, written as `a:b` or `a/b`.
- Proportion: An equality of two ratios. If `a:b` is proportional to `c:d`, we write `a:b = c:d` or `a/b = c/d`.
- This implies the "product of extremes equals product of means": ad = bc.
Percentage
The word "percent" means "per hundred". It's a way to express a number as a fraction of 100.
Formula: Percentage = (Part / Whole) × 100%
Example: If you score 30 out of 40 on a test, your percentage is (30 / 40) × 100% = 0.75 × 100% = 75%.
Profit and Loss
- Cost Price (CP): The price at which an item is purchased.
- Selling Price (SP): The price at which an item is sold.
- Profit: If SP > CP, then Profit = SP - CP.
- Loss: If CP > SP, then Loss = CP - SP.
Formulas:
Profit % = (Profit / CP) × 100
Loss % = (Loss / CP) × 100
Exam Tip: Profit and Loss percentages are always calculated based on the Cost Price (CP), unless stated otherwise.
Simple Interest (SI)
Interest calculated only on the original principal amount.
- P = Principal (the initial amount of money)
- R = Rate of interest (per year)
- T = Time (in years)
Formulas:
Simple Interest (SI) = (P × R × T) / 100
Total Amount (A) = Principal + Simple Interest = P + SI
Compound Interest (CI)
Interest calculated on the initial principal and also on the accumulated interest from previous periods ("interest on interest").
Formula (compounded annually):
Amount (A) = P × (1 + R/100)ᵀ
Compound Interest (CI) = A - P = P × [ (1 + R/100)ᵀ - 1 ]
Example: Find the CI on 1000 for 2 years at 10% p.a. compounded annually.
- A = 1000 × (1 + 10/100)²
- A = 1000 × (1.1)²
- A = 1000 × 1.21 =1210
- CI = A - P = 1210 -1000 = $210