Mathematical System: Study Guide
Mathematical System: Study Guide
Mathematical System: Study Guide
GRADE 8 | UNIT 10
Mathematical System
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2
Test Your Prerequisite Skills ........................................................................................................ 3
Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Lesson 1: The General Axiomatic Structure of a Mathematical System
- Warm Up! ........................................................................................................................... 5
- Learn about It! ................................................................................................................... 6
- Let’s Practice! ..................................................................................................................... 8
- Check Your Understanding! ............................................................................................ 12
Lesson 2: Mathematical System in Geometry
- Warm Up! ......................................................................................................................... 14
- Learn about It! ................................................................................................................. 15
- Let’s Practice! ................................................................................................................... 18
- Check Your Understanding! ............................................................................................ 21
Challenge Yourself! ..................................................................................................................... 23
Performance Task ....................................................................................................................... 24
Wrap-up ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Key to Let’s Practice! .................................................................................................................... 26
References ................................................................................................................................... 27
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STUDY GUIDE
UNIT 10
Mathematical System
“Words differently arranged have a different meaning and meanings
differently arranged have a different effect.” – Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)
In the previous unit, we learned the kinds of reasoning used in proving statements in an
argument, one of which is deductive reasoning. One of the common mistakes of working
with a deductive system is being too familiar with the subject matter of the system. We
need to be careful with what we are assuming to be true and with saying something is
obvious while writing a proof. We need to take extreme care that we do not make
additional assumptions outside the system being studied.
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Before you get started, answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper. This will
help you assess your prior knowledge and practice some skills that you will need in
studying the lessons in this unit. Show your complete solution.
a. Line segment
b. Line
c. Ray
d. Parallel lines
e. Intersecting lines
f. Perpendicular lines
g. Angle
h. Midpoint
i. Angle bisector
j. Transversal line
Objectives
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Warm Up!
Instructions:
1. This activity is to be done by pairs.
2. Each pair will compare the strategy and the answer they got.
Situation:
There are five houses in five different colors. In each house lives a person
with a different nationality: British (or Brit), Swedish (or Swede), Danish (or
Dane), German, and Norwegian. These five owners drink a certain type of
beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet. No owners
have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar, or drink the same
beverage.
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Hints:
The Brit lives in the red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the left of the white house.
The green house's owner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mill rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhall.
The man living in the center house drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
The man who smokes Bland lives next to the one who keeps cats.
The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhall.
The owner who smokes Black Master drinks beer.
The German smokes Princess.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The man who smokes Bland has a neighbor who drinks water.
The activity in Warm Up! requires analytical thinking. You were able to solve the riddle by
following a structure of hints. This kind of systematic approach will help you better
understand this lesson.
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For us to understand more about axiomatic systems, we first need to know the following
terms:
• Undefined terms are terms that can only be “described” to have meanings and
to avoid circular definitions. Undefined terms can be an element (implies
objects) or a relation (implies relationships between objects).
• Defined terms are phrases involving undefined terms that are used repeatedly,
making it more efficient to substitute a new term.
Example: Lines on the same plane that do not intersect are called parallel
lines.
• Axioms or postulates are statements accepted as true and do not need proof.
Early Greeks defined axioms as assumptions common to all sciences while
postulates are assumptions exclusive to a particular science. They are now used
interchangeably.
Example: Two lines can intersect at one and only one point.
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2. Independence – Each axiom cannot be logically deduced from the other axioms in
the system.
Let’s Practice!
Example 1: Consider the following axiom set. Identify the undefined terms. What is the
minimum number of bones?
Solution: The undefined terms are “dog,” “bone,” and “has.” The “dog” and the “bone”
are elements or object names while “has” is a relation indicating the
relationship between dog and bone.
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Axiom 3 guarantees the existence of a dog. Now, each dog must have at least
two bones as stated in Axiom 1; thus, it is also true that there exists at least
two bones.
Try It Yourself!
Identify the undefined terms in the axiom set. What is the minimum number of
paths?
Solution: The undefined terms used in the four axioms are “point,” “line,” and “on.” The
“point” and the “line” are elements while “on” is a relation indicating the
relationship between point and line.
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Try It Yourself!
Example 3: Using the axiom set in Example 2, how many lines are there? Prove.
Axiom 4 suggests that there exists at least two lines—we will call them 𝑙1 and
𝑙2 . Also, by Axiom 4, 𝑙1and 𝑙2 are on at least one point.
Axiom 1 states that there are exactly three points—we will call them 𝐴, 𝐵, and
𝐶—and one of them (assigned as 𝐶) is both on 𝑙1and 𝑙2 . Thus, we now have
two spare points, 𝐴 and 𝐵).
Axiom 2 guarantees that 𝑙1and 𝑙2 have exactly two distinct points. Hence,
𝑙1and 𝑙2 have two points on each of them—𝐴 and 𝐶, and 𝐵 and 𝐶,
respectively.
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Try It Yourself!
Using the axiom set below, how many bees are there? Prove.
Real-World Problems
Identify the undefined terms, the minimum number of rows of chairs, and
the minimum number of pathways.
Solution: The undefined terms are rows of “chairs,” “classroom,” “pathway,” and
“between.”
There are at least three rows of chairs in the classroom. By Axiom 1, there
are at least two rows of chairs in the classroom. Let us call them 𝑟1 and 𝑟2 .
Then by Axiom 2, there is exactly one pathway between any two rows of
chairs. Let us call it 𝑝1. Since by Axiom 3, not all the rows of chairs have the
same pathway between them, there must be another row of chair, 𝑟3 , that
does not have 𝑝1 between it and 𝑟1 or 𝑟2 . Hence, there must be at least three
rows of chairs in the classroom.
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There are at least two pathways in the classroom. Continuing from the proof
in (b), it implies that there must be a pathway between either 𝑟1 and 𝑟3 , or 𝑟2
and 𝑟3 , which is not 𝑝1.
Try It Yourself!
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3. Use the axiom set below to answer the questions that follow.
What are the undefined terms in the axiom set? Prove that there are at least three
buildings on campus.
4. What are the undefined terms used in the following axiom set?
5. Using the axiom set in item 4, prove that each point is on exactly two lines.
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Warm Up!
Instructions:
1. This activity is to be done individually.
2. On a piece of paper, draw two parallel lines.
3. Draw a line cutting the parallel lines. This is called the transversal line.
4. With a protractor, measure the two interior angles of the transversal.
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In Warm Up!, you were asked to prove that when two parallel lines are cut by a transversal,
the two interior angles located on the same side of the transversal have a sum of 180°.
Without the aid of an illustration, can you prove the statement by using terms and
axioms?
In the previous lesson, you have learned how an axiomatic system works as a tool in
proving and generating new knowledge. In this lesson, you will be familiar with the
different axioms that are widely used in mathematics. These are the foundations or roots
of every theorem proven to be true that we use in mathematics nowadays.
As discussed from the previous lesson, an axiomatic system contains axioms that are
used to prove theorems. These axioms or postulates are composed of assumed
statements stating the relations among the defined and undefined terms. In general, the
axiomatic structure of mathematics continuously provides means to generate and prove a
growing network of knowledge by using the foundations laid by the undefined terms,
defined terms, axioms, and postulates.
Since axioms are algebraic in nature and postulates are generally more geometry-
oriented, they are commonly used in algebra and geometry, respectively. In fact, you
might have already encountered some of them. Listed below are some of the most
common ones.
Axioms of Equality
Axiom 1: Quantities that are equal to a same quantity are equal to each other.
(Transitive Axiom)
If 𝑎 = 𝑏 and 𝑏 = 𝑐, then 𝑎 = 𝑐.
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Axiom 2: A quantity may be substituted for its equal in any expression or equation.
(Substitution Axiom)
If 𝑥 = 3 and 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 2, then 𝑦 = 3 + 2 = 5.
𝑥=𝑥
Axiom 5: If an equal quantity is added to two equal quantities, the sums are equal.
(Addition Axiom)
If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎 + 𝑐 = 𝑏 + 𝑐.
Axiom 6: If an equal quantity is subtracted from two equal quantities, the differences
are equal.
(Subtraction Axiom)
If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎 − 𝑐 = 𝑏 − 𝑐.
Axiom 7: If two equal quantities are both multiplied by equal quantities, the products
are equal.
(Multiplication Axiom)
If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎𝑐 = 𝑏𝑐.
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Axiom 8: If two equal quantities are both divided by equal quantities, the quotients are
equal.
(Division Axiom)
𝑎 𝑏
If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then = 𝑐.
𝑐
Axiom 9: When two equal quantities are raised to the same exponents, the powers are
equal.
(Powers Axiom)
If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑏 𝑛 .
Axiom 10: If the roots (same index) of two equal quantities are extracted, the roots are
equal.
(Roots Axiom)
If 𝑎 = 𝑏, then √𝑎 = √𝑏
𝑛 𝑛
Postulates
1. One and only one straight line can be drawn through any two points.
2. Two lines can intersect at one and only one point.
3. The length of a segment is the shortest distance between two points.
4. One and only one circle can be drawn with any given point as center and a given
line segment as a radius.
5. Any geometric figure can be moved without change in size or shape.
6. A segment has one and only one midpoint.
7. An angle has one and only one bisector.
8. Through any point on a line, one and only one perpendicular line can be drawn to
the line.
9. Through any point outside a line, one and only one perpendicular line can be
drawn to the given line.
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STUDY GUIDE
Looking back at the given problem in Warm Up!, we first need to understand the concept
of lines as an undefined term. Furthermore, we also have to be familiar with the definition
of parallel lines, transversals, interior angles, and angle pairs. Knowing the proved
theorems relating to angle pairs and parallel lines would also be helpful as supporting
reasons to the set of proofs needed. All of these terms and axioms make up the axiomatic
system we need to prove the given theorem.
Let’s Practice!
Example 1: What axiom is needed to prove that side 𝑎 is congruent to side 𝑐 given that
𝑏 = 25, 𝑎 = 𝑏, and 𝑏 = 𝑐?
𝑎 = 𝑐 = 𝑏 = 25.
Try It Yourself!
A B C D E
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Example 2: State the postulate needed to disprove the accompanying statement of the
diagram below.
Solution: Postulate 7 states that an angle has one and only one bisector. Thus, only
one of the given rays could bisect ∠𝑊𝑉𝑍.
Try It Yourself! A
D
B C
Example 3: Complete the statement and state the axiom that applies.
Solution: By the division axiom, their parts will be of the same size.
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Try It Yourself!
Real-World Problems
Solution: Since Mr. San Diego is adding the same amount to both sides of his house, it
means that the sides will still be equal. This is by the Addition Axiom.
Example 5: Twins Joseph and Josephine received a total of ₱2,000 each from relatives on
their birthday. On Christmas, their parents doubled their money. Josephine
and Joseph both counted their money to be ₱4,000 after their parents gave
them money. What axiom is illustrated by the given situation?
Solution: On their birthday, they had ₱2,000 each and the amount doubled on
Christmas. Since they had the same amount on their birthday, they still have
the same amount after their parents doubled their money, which represents
the Multiplication Axiom. It can also illustrate the Addition Axiom since
their parents gave them ₱2,000 each.
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STUDY GUIDE
Try It Yourself!
While building a dog cage, you put a wood from the middle
of the base perpendicular to the floor surface. You are trying
to put additional wood at the same point also perpendicular
to the ground. What axiom is violated by your action?
b.
c.
d.
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e.
f. 𝑀 = 𝑁
𝑀+6=𝑁+6
g. 𝐴 = 𝐵
𝐴 𝐵
=
4 4
h. 𝐴𝐶 + 𝐶𝐵 = 𝐴𝐵
i.
j.
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STUDY GUIDE
Challenge Yourself!
1. What conclusion follows when Axiom 3 (Partition Axiom) is applied to the given
illustration?
2. State the axiom needed to disprove the accompanying statement below the
diagram.
.A
Statement: Both circles have 𝐴 as the center and they have the same radius.
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Performance Task
You are a part of a team that will design a mural on one of the walls of the school. As the
president of the Mathematics Club, you are tasked to make a design that will depict at
least 10 basic axioms or postulates. You are given one week to submit your proposal to
your Mathematics Club adviser.
The proposal
The proposal All axioms and
Accuracy of The illustrations showed very few
showed many postulates are
the use of of axioms and errors in the use
errors in the use correctly
axioms and postulates were of axioms and
of axioms and depicted in the
postulates incorrect. postulates in the
postulates. mural.
drawings.
The proposal was The proposal The proposal The proposal
Submission
submitted more was submitted 2 was submitted 1 was submitted
of proposal
than 2 days late. days late. day late. on time.
Wrap-up
UNDEFINED DEFINED
TERMS TERMS
THEOREMS AXIOMS
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Lesson 1
1. ant, path, has; 2 paths
2. hive, bee, belong
3. six bees; By Axiom 4, there are exactly 4 hives, and by Axiom 2, there are six bees.
4. dog, veterinary clinic cage, belong; 3 cages
Lesson 2
1. Addition Axiom
2. 120°
3. Through any point on a line, one and only one perpendicular line can be drawn to
the line.
4. Through any point on a line, one and only one perpendicular line can be drawn to
the line. 26
STUDY GUIDE
References
Firmalino, Sandra Bernadette, et al. Realistic Math 8. Quezon City: Sibs Publishing House,
Inc., 2017.
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