A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
abscissa
- the first element in an ordered pair. It is the distance along the
horizontal axis on a graph.
acute
angle
- an angle whose measure is between 0 degrees and 90 degrees.
acute
triangle
- a triangle with three acute angles.
additive
inverses
- two numbers whose sum is 0.
adjacent
angles
- two angles
that share a vertex and a common side between them but have no interior points
in common.
algorithm
- a step-by-step procedure for carrying out computation.
alternate
angles
- two angles that are in opposite locations when lines are cut by a transversal.
If the angles are between the lines, they are called alternate interior angles;
if they are outside the lines, they are called alternate exterior angles. If
the lines are parallel, the alternate angles are congruent.
 |
alternate interior angles- c and f or d and e |
altitude
of a triangle
- the line segment drawn from any vertex of a triangle perpendicular to the
line containing the opposite side. Its length is referred to as the height of
the triangle.
arithmetic
mean
- the terms that lie between any two non-consecutive terms in an arithmetic
sequence.
arithmetic
sequence
- a sequence in which each term, after the first term, is obtained from the
preceding one by adding the same amount
arithmetic
series
- an arithmetic sequence connected by + signs
associative
property
- when performing an operation on three or more numbers, the result is unchanged
by the way the numbers are grouped. Addition and multiplication of numbers is
associative.
E.g.- 6 + (7 + 9) = (6 + 7) + 9 and (4 x 3) x 5 = 4 x (3 x 5).
Subtraction
and division are not associative.
E.g.- (8 ÷ 4) ÷ 2 is not equal to 8 ÷ (4 ÷ 2) and
8 - (5 - 7) is not equal to (8 - 5) - 7
axis
(plural- axes)
- the horizontal and vertical lines that form the quadrants of the coordinate
plane. The horizontal axis is usually called the x-axis. The vertical axis is
usually called the y-axis.
base
of a triangle
- the bottom edge of a triangle.
benchmarks
- points of reference used in estimation.
E.g.- the square corner on a piece of paper can be used as a benchmark when
estimating angle measures.
binomial
- a polynomial consisting of two terms.
E.g.- 3x² - 8
bisector
of an angle
- a segment or ray that divides an angle into two congruent angles.
bisector
of a line segment
- a point, segment, ray, or line that divides a line segment into two congruent
segments.
box-and-whiskers
plot
- a type of graph used in data management particularly useful in showing the
spread of the distribution of the data. The graph consists of a box with a line
coming out each side(whisker)
broken-line
graph
- a type of graph used in data management where the data points are joined by
line segments.
budget
-a plan to estimate the amount of
money that can be spent on various categories.
capacity
- the amount a container holds, usually measured in litres.
census
- when information is gathered from all people in the population, the activity
is called a census. Polls or surveys are a method of collecting data by asking
people to give their answers to a set of questions.
central
angle of circle
- the angle formed at the centre of a circle by the intersection of two radii.
central
angle of a regular polygon
- an angle at the centre of the polygon.
centre
of rotation
- the point around which an object is rotated. (see rotation)
chord
- a segment joining two points on a circle.
circle
graph
- a graph of statistical data where a circle is subdivided into regions that
represent the percent of the total.
circumference
- the distance around (perimeter of) a circle.
coefficient
- the numerical factor of a term. E.g.- the coefficient of -3x² y is -3.
The coefficient of a³ bc² is 1.
commission
- earnings based on the amount of total sales.
commutative
property
- the order of numbers in a calculation does not affect the result. E.g.- addition
is commutative because
3 + 5 = 5 + 3. Subtraction
is not commutative because 8 - 2 is not equal to 2 - 8.
compatible
numbers
- numbers that are easy to manipulate mentally; e.g.- 25 x 4, 8 + 2.
compensation
- adjusting an estimated answer up or down to approximate the value more closely.
complementary
angles
- two angles whose measures total 90 degrees.
composite
number
- a whole number that has more than two different factors. E.g.- 18 has factors
1, 18, 2, 9, 3, 6 so it is composite.
compound
bar graph
- a bar graph that compares two or more quantities simultaneously.
compound
event
- the outcome of a probability experiment that involves more than one object.
E.g.- when you roll two dice and the result is a 5 on one and a 2 on the other,
this is a compound event.
compound
interest
- money paid for investing or borrowing a sum of money. The interest is calculated,
then added to the principal and reinvested. The interest earns interest. Interest
is calculated using I = Prt.
concave
polygon
- a polygon with at least one interior angle with measure greater than 180 degrees.
congruent
- figures that have the same size and same shape.
congruent
angles
- angles that have the same measure.
congruent
triangles
- triangles that are the same size and shape.
convex
polygon
- a polygon with each interior angle measuring less than 180 degrees.
coordinate
plane
- grid paper that is divided into four quadrants by drawing a vertical and a
horizontal line that intersect at a point called the origin. Used for graphing
ordered pairs.
coordinates
- the ordered pair that names the location of a point on the coordinate plane.
The first number in the ordered pair is called the abscissa and the second number
is the ordinate.
corresponding
angles
- angles that have the same relative positions when two lines are cut by a transversal
or in triangles.
|
corresponding angles- a and e c and h b and f d and g Corresponding angles are congruent if the lines are parallel. |
 |
corresponding angles- A and X B and Y C and Z Corresponding angles are congruent if the triangles are congruent or similar. |
cube
root
- the number that when cubed (taken to the power of 3) gives the original number.
data
- facts and opinions from which conclusions can be drawn.
decimal
number
-a number based on ten or
multiplies of 10.
degree
of a polynomial
- the greatest of the degrees of its terms.
term
- the sum of the number of times each variable appears as a factor. E.g.- the
degree of the term 5x³ yz is 5 because 3 + 1+ 1 = 5.
dependent
events
- events whose outcomes affect each other.
dependent
variable
- usually the value of y depends on the value selected for x (the independent
variable), so y is the dependent variable.
diagonal
- a segment joining two non-consecutive vertices of a convex polygon.
E.g.-
diameter
- a chord that passes through the centre of a circle.
dilatation
- the enlargement or reduction of a plane figure.
direct
variation
- is when two things change at the same rate. For example, the grade in your
class varies directly with the amount of studying you do. The more you study,
the higher the grade. The less you study, the lower your grade.
distributive
property
- adding two numbers and then multiplying by another yields the same result
as multiplying each one by the number and then adding the products, e.g.- a(b
+ c) = ab + ac.
divisibility
rules
- patterns that allow you to determine whether a number divides evenly into
another number (leaving no remainder) without actually doing the division. E.g.-
a number that ends in 5 or 0 is divisible by 5.
edge
- the line segment where two faces of a polyhedron meet.
equation
- a mathematical sentence containing an equal sign.
equiangular
-having equal angles
equilateral
-having equal sides
estimation
- determining an approximate amount, value, or size of something. Quantitative
estimation is determining the approximate number of items in a group. Computational
estimation is determining the approximate result to an arithmetic calculation.
Measurement estimation is determining the approximate length, perimeter, area,
volume, or other measurement of a geometric figure.
Euler's
formula
- a formula relating the number of vertices (V), faces (F) and edges (E) of
a polyhedron. V + F - E = 2
event
- one or more outcomes of a probability experiment.
experimental
probability
- the ratio of the favorable outcomes to the total outcomes in an experiment.
exponent
- a number that indicates the number of times the base appears as a factor.
E.g.- 4³ = 4x4x4. The exponent is 3. The entire term is called a power
and 4 is the base. When 0 is the exponent the value of the power is 1;
e.g.- 
.
When the exponent is a negative integer, the value of the power is the reciprocal
of the value when the exponent is its opposite. E.g.- 
expression
(mathematical)
- a group of symbols representing numbers and operations.
exterior
angle of a polygon
- the angle outside a polygon formed by extending one of its sides.
angle A is an exterior
angle
face
- any of the flat sides of a polyhedron.
factor
tree
- a systematic way of determining all the prime factors of a number.
E.g.
- 
fixed
expenditures
- an amount of money that is always spent in a given time period. For
example, you must eat, thus the money spent on groceries would be a fixed expenditure.
fraction
- any number that can be written in the form a/b where a and b are whole numbers
and b cannot equal 0.
frequency
diagram
- used in statistics as a method of recording the data collected. A tally is
often used in the frequency diagram to keep track of the number of times something
occurs.
function
- a set of ordered pairs where each first element is paired with one and only
one second element and no element in either pair is without a partner.
golden
rectangle
- a rectangle where the ratio of its length to its width is about 1.618-1.
gross
pay
-the amount of money you are paid before deductions are taken off.
hectare
(hm² )
- a unit of area that is 100 m by 100 m. It is equivalent to 10 000 m²
.
height
of a triangle(altitude)
- the line segment drawn from any vertex of a triangle perpendicular to the
line containing the opposite side. Its length is referred to as the height of
the triangle.
histogram
- a type of statistical graph that uses bars, where each bar represents a range
of values and the data are continuous.
hypotenuse
- the side opposite the right angle in a right triangle. It is always the longest
side in the triangle.
image
- the result of a transformation on an object.
improper
fraction
- a fraction whose numerator is greater than or equal to its denominator. E.g.-
11/7.
Note- 11/7 and 1 4/7 are both in simplest form.
independent
variable
- in graphing a function, you choose different values of x. Since the value
of y depends on the value selected for x, then y is the dependent variable.
Since x was chosen at random, it is the independent variable.
inequality
- a mathematical sentence that includes one of the symbols 
.
integer
- any number in the set 0, ±l, ±2, ±3, ...
interior
angles of a polygon
- angles within a polygon formed by the intersection of two sides. This polygon
has four interior angles.
interest
- money paid for the use of someone else's money. Simple interest is calculated
using the formula i = prt. Compound interest is calculated by adding the interest
on to the principal each time the interest is calculated.
isosceles
- a polygon with two sides equal in length. Usually used to refer to either
a triangle or a trapezoid.
like
terms
- terms that have the same variables raised to the same exponent. E.g.- 3x²
and -2x² .
line
-a straight path that does not have a beginning or an end.
linear
equation
- an equation whose graph is a line, that is, an equation that has a degree
of one.(The exponent on the x term is one)
e.g.- y = 3x - 2
line
of symmetry
- a line that divides a figure into two parts, each a mirror image of the other.
line
segment
- a portion of a line with 2 definite endpoints.
literal
equation
- an equation that contains at least two variables.
mean
- in statistics, the measure of central tendency calculated by adding all the
values and dividing the sum by the number of values. (Often referred to as the
average.)
median
- the measure of central tendency that is in the middle when the values are
arranged in order of size. If there is an even number of data items, the median
is the mean of the middle two.
- a line segment from any vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite
side.
mental
calculation
- refers to finding an exact answer mentally (without the use of pencil and
paper or calculator).
mixed
number
- a number consisting of a whole number and a fraction; e.g.- 5 1/4.
mode
- the value that appears most frequently in a set of data.
monomial
- a number, a variable, or a product of numbers and variables.
multiple
-the Silver Burdett Mathematical Dictionary definition is- "A multiple
of a number n, is k x n, where k is a counting number".
For example, a multiple of 3 is 5 x 3 ( or 15), another is 21 ( 7 x 3)
multiplicative
inverses
- two numbers whose product is one.
net
- a plane figure obtained by opening and flattening a 3-D object, or a 2-D pattern
for a 3-D object.
net
pay(take home pay)
-the amount of money left after deductions are subtracted from your
gross pay.
non-convex(concave)
- a polygon with at least one interior angle with measure greater than
180 degrees.
obtuse
angle
- an angle whose measure is between 90 degrees and 180 degrees.
obtuse
triangle
- a triangle with one obtuse angle.
odds
- the probability that an event will occur compared with the probability of
its not occurring.
opposites
(additive inverses)
- two numbers whose sum is 0.
ordered
pair
- a pair of numbers that gives the location of a point in a plane; e.g.- (3,1).
The order of the numbers in the pair is important because the point (1,3) is
not the same as the point (3,1).
ordinate
- the second element of an ordered pair. When graphed in the coordinate plane,
it is the distance from the x-axis. Frequently called the y-coordinate.
ordinate
- the point on a coordinate plane where the x-axis and y-axis intersect
outcome
-the results of an event. The outcomes of tossing a coin are heads or tails.
overtime
pay
-extra pay you receive for working more than your regular period of
time.
parallelogram
- a quadrilateral with both pairs of opposite sides parallel.
parallel
lines
-two lines in the same plane that do not intersect.
partial
variation
- a total which depends on a variable portion and a fixed portion (constant)
percent
- a ratio changed to a number out of 100.
perfect
square
- a whole number that is the square of an integer. E.g.- 25 is a perfect square
because 5 x 5 = 25.
perpendicular
- two segments or lines that intersect to form right angles.
perpendicular
bisector
-a perpendicular line that bisects another line or segment.
pi
(
)
- the ratio of the circumference to the diameter (C/d) of any circle.
piecework
earnings
-the amount of money paid for an item produced by you.
plane
of symmetry
- a plane that divides a 3-D object into two parts, each a mirror image of the
other.
polygon
- a closed figure made up of line segments.
polyhedron
- a 3-D object that has polygons as its faces. The intersection of any two faces
forms an edge.
polynomial
- an expression consisting of one or more terms.
population
- in statistics, population refers to the entire group about which data are
being collected.
power
- the result obtained by multiplying a number by itself one or more times. For
example, 8 is the third power of 2.
primary
data
- data obtained directly using methods such as a survey or an experiment.
prime
number
- a whole number greater than one whose only whole number factors are itself
and one.
prism
- a geometric solid with two bases that are congruent, parallel polygons, and
all other faces are parallelograms. It is referred to as a right prism if the
faces are rectangles. It is named according to the shape of its bases;
e.g.- 
triangular
prism.
proper fraction
- a fraction whose numerator is less than its denominator.
proportion
- an equality of two ratios; e.g.- 5 - 8 = 10 - 16.
protractor
(circular)
- a circular device subdivided into 360 equal parts and used for measuring angles.
protractor
(semi-circular)
- a half circle subdivided around the edge in degrees and used for measuring
angles.
Pythagorean
Theorem
- in any right triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse equals the
sum of the squares of the other 2 sides.
c² = a²
+ b² . 
pyramid
- a geometric solid with one base that is a polygon and all other faces are
triangles with a common vertex.
quadrant
- when the axes are drawn in a coordinate plane, the plane is divided into 4
sections called quadrants. The quadrants are numbered using Roman numerals.
quadrilateral
-any four-sided figure.
quadrilateral parallelogram
-a four-sided figure with opposite sides parallel.
quartile
- any one of the values in a frequency distribution that divides the distribution
into four parts of equal frequency. The first quartile is the number below which
1/4 of the values are found.
radius
(plural- radii)
- the distance from the centre of a circle to any point on the circle.
range
- in statistics, the difference between the least and the greatest values in
a set of data. In more advanced statistics, it is considered the number of values
between the greatest and the least, inclusive, and is calculated by the formula-
range = greatest - least + 1.
rate
- a quotient used to compare two measures of different units; e.g.- kilometres
per hour.
ratio
- a quotient used to compare two or more quantities of the same units of measure.
rational
number
- any number that can be written in the form a/b where a and b are integers
and b cannot be 0. It is a negative rational number if it is less than zero;
i.e., either a or b, but not both, is negative.
ray
-a line segment that continues indefinitely in one direction.
reciprocals
(multiplicative inverses)
- two numbers whose product is one.
rectangle
-a parallelogram with four right angles.
regular
polygon
-a polygon with congruent sides and angles.
regular pay
-the pay you receive for a normal period of work.
reflection
(flip)
- a transformation of a geometric figure that results in a mirror image of it.
The object and the image are equal distance from the line of reflection.
reflex
angle
- an angle whose measure is between 180 and 360 degrees.
regular
polygon
- a polygon with all sides congruent and all angles congruent. An equilateral
or equiangular triangle is a regular polygon, as is a square.
repeating
decimal
- a decimal number that contains a digit or digits that repeat; e.g.- 0.3 =
0.333...
rhombus
- a parallelogram with all sides equal in length.
right
angle
- a ninety degree angle
rotation
(turn)
- a transformation of a figure in which the image is formed by turning the figure
about a fixed point called the centre of rotation. The centre may be inside
or outside the figure.
salary
- a fixed amount paid for work
same-side
angles
-angles that are on the same side when two lines are cut by a transversal.
If the lines are on the inside they are called same-side interior angles and
if they are on the outside they are called same-side exterior angles. Same-side
interior or exterior angles are supplementary if the lines are parallel.
sample
- refers to a representative portion of the population from whom information
is gathered. Often, the information is used to draw conclusions about the behavior
of the population. E.g.- to determine the favourite activity of students in
your school, you could collect the information from some of the students (a
sample). The sample should be random and representative of the group.
scale
factor
- the ratio of a distance measured on a scale drawing to the corresponding distance
measured on the actual object.
scalene
triangle
- a triangle with all sides of different lengths.
scatter
plot
- a graphical method used in statistics to show the relationship between two
variables. The values of the two variables form an ordered pair that is graphed
on the coordinate plane.
scientific
notation
- writing a number as the product of a number between 1 and 10 and the appropriate
power of ten.
E.g.- 
secant
of circle
- a line that intersects a circle in two points.
secondary
data
- data obtained indirectly from sources such as a book or computer database.
similar
polygons
- polygons that have the same shape but not necessarily the same size.
simple
interest
- money paid for investing or borrowing a sum of money. It is calculated using
the formula I = Prt.
simplest
form (lowest terms)
- a fraction is in simplest form if both its numerator and denominator are whole
numbers and their only common factor is 1.
simplified
fraction
- a fraction in simplest form.
slope
(symbol 'm')
-The slope of a line refers to the angle of a line from horizontal. To find
the slope of a line use the following formula
spreadsheet
- a computer generated arrangement of data in rows and columns.
square
-a parallelogram with equal sides and four right angles.
square
root
- a number that when squared gives the value of the original number. E.g.- the
square root of 49 = 7 because
7² = 49.
stem-and-leaf
plot
- in statistics, a way of recording, organizing and displaying numerical data
so that the original data remains intact. E.g.-
In this plot, the
last row represents the numbers 90, 92, and 95.
straight
angle
- an angle whose measure is 180 degrees.
straight
commission
-pay based on commission only
supplementary
angles
- two angles whose measures total 180 degrees.
surface
area
- the sum of the areas of all the faces, including the bases, of a 3-D object.
term
- any expression written as a product or quotient; e.g.- 3xy, 2m³ , or
-5x³ y² z.
terminating
decimal
-a decimal number that does not repeat.
tessellate
- the repeated use of geometric figures to completely fill a plane without gaps
or overlapping.
theoretical
probability
- probability that is determined on the basis of reasoning, not through experimentation.
E.g.- because a regular die has 6 sides, the theoretical probability of tossing
a 3 is 1/6.
transformation
- a movement of one geometric shape to another according to some rule. The common
transformations used in Middle Level mathematics are translations, rotations,
and reflections.
translation
(slide)
- an exact duplication of a geometric figure formed by moving each point in
the figure the same distance and in the same direction.
transversal
- a line that intersects two or more other lines in the same plane.
trapezoid
- a quadrilateral with exactly one pair of parallel sides.
tree
diagram
- a systematic way of determining all possible outcomes in a probability experiment.
E.g.- if you toss two coins, the possible outcomes are-
trinomial
- a polynomial consisting of 3 terms.
unit
price
- the price of a single item or the price per kilogram or gram.
unlike
terms
-terms with different variables or the same variables raised to different exponents;
e.g.- 4x² and 2x³ .
variable
- a symbol, usually a small case letter, used to represent one or more numbers.
E.g.- in the expression 2x + 3, the variable is x. The 3 is called a constant
because its value never changes.
vertex
(plural- vertices)
- the point of intersection of two rays that form an angle, two sides of a polygon,
or two edges of a solid.
vertical
line test
- if a vertical line crosses the graph of a relation more than once, the relation
is not a function.
vertically
opposite angles
- two angles formed by the intersection of two lines. They share a common vertex
but no sides or interior points. E.g.- Angles 3 and 4 are vertically opposite
as well as angles 1 and 2.
Vertically opposite
angles are congruent.
wages
-an amount paid for work based on the amount of time worked.
x-axis
-The x-axis is the horizontal line that along with y-axis form the coordinate
plane. The horizontal axis is usually called the x-axis. Note in the diagram
below the x-axis is labled negative x on the left side of the y-axis and positive
x on the right side.
y-axis
-The y-axis is the vertical line that along with x-axis form the coordinate
plane. The veritical axis is usually called the y-axis. Note in the diagram
above the y-axis is labled negative y on the lower side of the x-axis and positive
y on the upper side.