Math G9 Class Notes (3) Part A Name_______________

A. The Number System

All numbers can be classified into different groups within the Number System.
a) Natural Number (N)-

b) Whole Numbers (W)-

c) Integers (I or Z)
• Textbook uses (I) but IB uses (Z)

• 𝑍 + represents positive integers only.

• 𝑍 − represents negative integers only.

𝑎
d) Rational Numbers (Q) – any number which can be written in the form 𝑏 where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are integers and

𝑏 ≠ 0. This includes all terminating decimals and repeating decimals.

e) Irrational Numbers (𝑄̅ )- any non-terminating and non-repeating decimal that can not be expressed as a
fraction.
• Some example of irrational numbers are: 𝜋, √2, −√7.

f) Real Numbers (R)- is the set of rational numbers and irrational numbers.

The interrelationship between the sets can be shown in the following diagram which illustrates how the
number sets are nested within the Real Number System.

Note: there is NO number that is both rational and irrational.

Example #1: Which numbers below belong to each set?

3 1
4127, −6, 6𝜋, 6.1211211121∙∙∙, 0.217̅, , √8, −2 8, √4 − √121, 0, 3√2
5

Natural Integers Rational Irrational

number numbers numbers

Example #2: Identify the sets to which each of the following numbers belongs by marking an “X” in the
appropriate boxes.
15 2
3
16 −0.083
17 0. ̅̅̅̅̅
456
18 𝑒
B. Scientific Notation

Scientific notation refers to expressing a number as a product of any number between 1 and 10 to the 10th
power. Scientific notation is mostly used when dealing with large quantities or numbers containing many
digits since it shortens the notation.
Number Natural Whole Integers Rational Irrational Real
Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers Numbers

1. −√17

2. −2

9
3. −
37

4. 0

5. −6.06

6. 4. ̅̅
56̅̅

7. 3.050050005. ..

8. 18

43
9. −
0

10. 𝜋

13. . 634

14. −5
To write a number in scientific notation:

1) If the number is in decimal notation, move the decimal point to the _________of its original position
and place it after the first non-zero digit. The exponent for the base of 10 will be the number of places the
original decimal point was moved, and it will be __________.

Example: 0.0000643→ 6.43 × 10−5

2) If the number to be changed to scientific notation is a whole number greater than 10, move the decimal
point to the _________ of its original position and place it after the first digit. The exponent of base 10
will be the number of places the original decimal point was moved, and it will be ____________.

Example: 1250000 → 1.25 × 106

Original number Scientific notation

2560000

0.000066

0.005

872000

0.000000000789

281 × 103

1.25 × 10−3

1.06 × 105
Operations involving scientific notation:

Addition and Subtraction

Before numbers in scientific notation can be added or subtracted, the exponents must be equal.

Example: (3.4 × 102 ) + (4.57 × 103 ) = (0.34 × 103 ) + (4.57 × 103 )

Multiplication

When numbers in scientific notation are multiplied only the number is multiplied. The exponents are
added.

(2.00 × 103 )(4.00 × 104 ) = (2.00)(4.00) × 103+4

Division

When numbers in scientific notation are divided, only the number is divided. The exponents are
subtracted.

9.60 × 107 9.60

= × 107−4 = 6.00 × 103
1.60 × 104 1.60

Example #3: Perform the indicated operations.

a) (1.2 × 105 ) + (5.35 × 106 ) b) (8.41 × 10−5 ) − (7.9 × 10−6 )

8.1×10−2
c) (6.0 × 105 ) × (1.5 × 10−2 ) d) 9.0×102
C. Absolute Values

Absolute value represents the distance from zero on a number line, regardless of direction. Absolute value
is indicated by vertical bars around a number or expression. Absolute value is always zero or positive.

Example #1: Evaluate

3
a) |9| b) |−4| c) |0| d) |−3.8| e) |5|

Note:

• For value of 𝑥 which are greater than or equal to zero, |𝑥| = 𝑥

• For value of 𝑥 which are less than zero, |𝑥| = −𝑥
𝑥 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 ≥ 0
• So by definition: |𝑥| = {
−𝑥 𝑖𝑓 𝑥 < 0
Example #2: Write the following real numbers in order from least to greatest.

21 7
|−10.1|, |− | , |10|, −10, −9.8, |−9.9|, |−9 | , −9
2 8

Properties of Absolute Value

For all real numbers 𝑎 and 𝑏,
1) |𝑎| ≥ 0 2) |−𝑎| = |𝑎| 3) 𝑎 ≤ |𝑎| 4) |𝑎𝑏| = |𝑎||𝑏|

𝑎 |𝑎|
5) |𝑏 | = |𝑏| , 𝑏 ≠ 0 6) |𝑎 + 𝑏| ≤ |𝑎| + |𝑏|
Example #3: Evaluate each expression.
1 3
a) |5 − 6| b) |2| − |3(−4)| c) |5(−2)2 + 7(−3) − 15| d) −4 |2 − 4|

e) −|−7| f) |−|2 − 8|2 | + |5 − 32 |

Example #4: The melting point of mercury is −39℃ and its boiling point is 357℃. Use absolute value
symbols to write a statement to determine the number of degrees between the boiling point and the
melting point.

Example #5: Stock A opened the month at $13.55/share, then dropped to $12.70/share, increased to
$14.05/share, and closed the month at $13.85/share. What is the total value of change of the stock price?

D. Integers

Temperatures below freezing are indicated by negative integers; temperatures above freezing by positive
integers.

Integers such as −2 and 2 are called opposite integers. Integers can be represented on a number line.

Note that any integer on the number line is greater than all the integers to its left and less than all the
integers to its right.

Adding and subtraction integers

The addition of integers can be shown by moves on a number line.

-start at the first integer

-move to the right for positive integers

Move to the left for negative integers

To subtract an integer, add its opposite.

Multiplying and Dividing integers

When multiplying/dividing two integers with the same sign (two positive or two negatives), the answer is
always positive.

When multiplying/dividing two integers with different signs (positive and negative), the answer is always
negative.

Example #1: Evaluate the following.

(−2)(−3)
a)(−2) − (+6) − (−4) − (+7) b) (−42) ÷ (−7) c) (−4)(−2)(−5)

Example #2: The time difference between Toronto and Vancouver is 3 hours.

a) An airplane leaves Vancouver for Toronto at 09:00 and the flying time is 4 hours and 10 minutes. What
time does it arrive in Toronto?

b) On the return flight the airplane leaves Toronto at 7:30 and the flying time to Vancouver is 4 h and 30
min. what time does it arrive in Vancouver?
Question: Can you divide any number by zero?

E. Rational Numbers (Working with Fractions)

𝑎 𝑎
Remember that a rational number can be written as a fraction 𝑏 where 𝑏 ≠ 0. The fraction 𝑏 is composed

of a numerator (a) and a denominator (b).

Equivalent Fractions

Example #1: State two equivalent fractions for each of the following fractions.

2 24
a) 7 b) 30

Simplifying a Fraction

Example #2: Simplify each fraction.

120 108
a) b)
200 144

𝑎 𝑐 𝑎±𝑐
Adding and Subtracting Fractions: 𝑏 ± 𝑏 = 𝑏

Note: When the denominators are different, we will need to rewrite the fractions into equivalent fractions
with a common denominator before we can add or subtract them.

Example #3: Perform the indicated operations and reduce your answer.

9 7 1 5
a) 12 + 14 b) 2 4 + 4 − 8
 𝑎 𝑐 𝑎×𝑐 𝑎𝑐
Multiplying Fractions: 𝑏 ∙ 𝑑 = 𝑏×𝑑 = 𝑏𝑑

Note: To multiply, we do not need a common denominator.

Example #4: Perform the indicated operation.

−3 5 27 8
a)( 2 ) (4) b) 16 × 81 × 3

𝑎
𝑎 𝑐 𝑎 𝑑 𝑎𝑑 𝑏 𝑎 𝑐 𝑎 𝑑 𝑎𝑑
Division of Fractions: ÷ = × =
𝑏 𝑑 𝑏 𝑐 𝑏𝑐
𝑜𝑟 𝑐 =𝑏÷𝑑 =𝑏×𝑐 = 𝑏𝑐
𝑑

Note: To divide fractions, we must transform a division statement into a multiplication statement.

Example #5: Perform the indicated operation.

5
− 4
18
a) 1 c) 8 ÷
3
3

F. Order of Operations

When you need to perform arithmetic operations, the ORDER in which you perform the operations is
very important. If you don’t follow the correct order, you may end up with the wrong result.

To help us remember, we use BEDMAS (Sometimes called PEMDAS)

B: brackets

E: exponents

D: Division

M: multiplication

A: addition

S: subtraction

We will use this order of operations throughout the course.

Example #1: Perform the indicated operations.

36−3×4
a) 9 − 6 ÷ 3 + 5(4 + 32 ) b) 15−9÷3

2
c) 8 + (2 × 5) × 34 ÷ 9 d) [2 − 3 − (−1 × −1)](−6÷3)

Example #2: What is the difference between these two expressions?

(−5)2 𝑣𝑠. −52