MATH 4109 - Test 1 UPDATED Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
What number is the base for a vigesimal numeration system? - CORRECT ANSWER - 20
True or False: The Mayans wrote the digits in their numerals in a vertical format. - CORRECT
ANSWER - True
What number is the base for a sexagesimal numeration system? - CORRECT ANSWER -
60
The Mayans had a "hybrid" positional system. Instead of 20 2 as the value of the "third" place,
what was its value? - CORRECT ANSWER - 18 ⋅ 20
What strategy did the Romans use to represent numbers that were multiples of 1000? -
CORRECT ANSWER - A bar was drawn over the necessary symbols.
Which style of writing did the Babylonians use? - CORRECT ANSWER - Cuneiform
What symbols did the ancient Mayans use to represent the numbers from 1 to 19? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Dots and horizontal bars
What number does the symbol L represent in the Roman numeral system? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 50
Which civilization employed a symbol for zero? - CORRECT ANSWER - Mayan
What number did the Babylonians use as the base for their numeration system? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 60
, What was the most important rule that the Egyptians used when they wrote sums of unit
fractions? - CORRECT ANSWER - They could never use the same unit fraction twice.
Most of our knowledge of early mathematics in Egypt comes from two papyri. One is known as
the Moscow Papyrus. What is the other one called? - CORRECT ANSWER - The Rhind
Papyrus
The method of false position is most similar to which problem-solving strategy? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Guess and check (also known as trial and error)
Why is it generally accepted that geometry originated in the ancient Egyptian empire? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The yearly floods of the Nile required that land had to be
remeasured for tax purposes.
True or False: The Egyptians had a symbol for zero. - CORRECT ANSWER - False
What was the only fraction used by the Egyptians besides unit fractions? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 2/3
For the Egyptians, the multiplication of two numbers was accomplished by successively
doubling one of the factors. After that was done, what operation was used? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Addition
What was the material on which the Egyptians wrote? - CORRECT ANSWER - Papyrus
True/False: The Babylonian base twenty numeration system enabled them to calculate with
fractions as readily as with integers and led to a highly developed algebra. - CORRECT
ANSWER - False
The Plimpton 322 is an ancient Babylonian clay tablet. It provides evidence that the Babylonians
knew about what mathematical idea or procedure? - CORRECT ANSWER - They knew
about the Pythagorean Theorem
Questions and CORRECT Answers
What number is the base for a vigesimal numeration system? - CORRECT ANSWER - 20
True or False: The Mayans wrote the digits in their numerals in a vertical format. - CORRECT
ANSWER - True
What number is the base for a sexagesimal numeration system? - CORRECT ANSWER -
60
The Mayans had a "hybrid" positional system. Instead of 20 2 as the value of the "third" place,
what was its value? - CORRECT ANSWER - 18 ⋅ 20
What strategy did the Romans use to represent numbers that were multiples of 1000? -
CORRECT ANSWER - A bar was drawn over the necessary symbols.
Which style of writing did the Babylonians use? - CORRECT ANSWER - Cuneiform
What symbols did the ancient Mayans use to represent the numbers from 1 to 19? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Dots and horizontal bars
What number does the symbol L represent in the Roman numeral system? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 50
Which civilization employed a symbol for zero? - CORRECT ANSWER - Mayan
What number did the Babylonians use as the base for their numeration system? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 60
, What was the most important rule that the Egyptians used when they wrote sums of unit
fractions? - CORRECT ANSWER - They could never use the same unit fraction twice.
Most of our knowledge of early mathematics in Egypt comes from two papyri. One is known as
the Moscow Papyrus. What is the other one called? - CORRECT ANSWER - The Rhind
Papyrus
The method of false position is most similar to which problem-solving strategy? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Guess and check (also known as trial and error)
Why is it generally accepted that geometry originated in the ancient Egyptian empire? -
CORRECT ANSWER - The yearly floods of the Nile required that land had to be
remeasured for tax purposes.
True or False: The Egyptians had a symbol for zero. - CORRECT ANSWER - False
What was the only fraction used by the Egyptians besides unit fractions? - CORRECT
ANSWER - 2/3
For the Egyptians, the multiplication of two numbers was accomplished by successively
doubling one of the factors. After that was done, what operation was used? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Addition
What was the material on which the Egyptians wrote? - CORRECT ANSWER - Papyrus
True/False: The Babylonian base twenty numeration system enabled them to calculate with
fractions as readily as with integers and led to a highly developed algebra. - CORRECT
ANSWER - False
The Plimpton 322 is an ancient Babylonian clay tablet. It provides evidence that the Babylonians
knew about what mathematical idea or procedure? - CORRECT ANSWER - They knew
about the Pythagorean Theorem
