1.2: Reading and Writing Whole Numbers
- be able to read and write a whole number
Because our number system is a positional number system, reading and writing whole numbers is quite simple.
Reading Whole Numbers
To convert a number that is formed by digits into a verbal phrase, use the following method:
- Beginning at the right and working right to left, separate the number into distinct periods by inserting commas every three digits.
- Beginning at the left, read each period individually, saying the period name.
Write the following numbers as words.
Read \(42958\).
Solution
Step 1: Beginning at the right, we can separate this number into distinct periods by inserting a comma between the 2 and 9.
\(42,958\)
Step 2: Beginning at the left, we read each period individually:
Forty-two thousand, nine hundred fifty-eight.
Read 307991343.
Solution
Step 1: Beginning at the right, we can separate this number into distinct periods by placing commas between the 1 and 3 and the 7 and 9.
\(307,991,343\)
Step 2: Beginning at the left, we read each period individually.
Three hundred seven million, nine hundred ninety-one thousand, three hundred forty-three.
Read 36000000000001.
Solution
Step 1: Beginning at the right, we can separate this number into distinct periods by placing commas.
\(36,000,000,000,001\)
Step 2: Beginning at the left, we read each period individually.
Thirty-six trillion, one.
Practice Set A
Write each number in words.
12,542
- Answer
-
Twelve thousand, five hundred forty-two
Practice Set A
101,074,003
- Answer
-
One hundred one million, seventy-four thousand, three
Practice Set A
1,000,008
- Answer
-
One million, eight
Writing Whole Numbers
To express a number in digits that is expressed in words, use the following method:
- Notice first that a number expressed as a verbal phrase will have its periods set off by commas.
- Starting at the beginning of the phrase, write each period of numbers individually.
- Using commas to separate periods, combine the periods to form one number.
Write each number using digits.
Seven thousand, ninety-two.
Solution
Using the comma as a period separator, we have
7,092
Fifty billion, one million, two hundred thousand, fourteen.
Solution
Using the commas as period separators, we have
50,001,200,014
Ten million, five hundred twelve.
Solution
The comma sets off the periods. We notice that there is no thousands period. We'll have to insert this ourselves.
10,000,512
Practice Set B
Express each number using digits.
One hundred three thousand, twenty-five.
- Answer
-
103,025
Practice Set B
Six million, forty thousand, seven.
- Answer
-
6,040,007
Practice Set B
Twenty trillion, three billion, eighty million, one hundred nine thousand, four hundred two.
- Answer
-
20,003,080,109,402
Practice Set B
Eighty billion, thirty-five.
- Answer
-
80,000,000,035
Exercises
For the following problems, write all numbers in words.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)
912
- Answer
-
nine hundred twelve
Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)
84
Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)
1491
- Answer
-
one thousand, four hundred ninety-one
Exercise \(\PageIndex{4}\)
8601
Exercise \(\PageIndex{5}\)
35,223
- Answer
-
thirty-five thousand, two hundred twenty-three
Exercise \(\PageIndex{6}\)
71,006
Exercise \(\PageIndex{7}\)
437,105
- Answer
-
four hundred thirty-seven thousand, one hundred five
Exercise \(\PageIndex{8}\)
201,040
Exercise \(\PageIndex{9}\)
8,001,001
- Answer
-
eight million, one thousand, one
Exercise \(\PageIndex{10}\)
16,000,053
Exercise \(\PageIndex{11}\)
770,311,101
- Answer
-
seven hundred seventy million, three hundred eleven thousand, one hundred one
Exercise \(\PageIndex{12}\)
83,000,000,007
Exercise \(\PageIndex{13}\)
106,100,001,010
- Answer
-
one hundred six billion, one hundred million, one thousand ten
Exercise \(\PageIndex{14}\)
3,333,444,777
Exercise \(\PageIndex{15}\)
800,000,800,000
- Answer
-
eight hundred billion, eight hundred thousand
Exercise \(\PageIndex{16}\)
A particular community college has 12,471 students enrolled.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{17}\)
A person who watches 4 hours of television a day spends 1460 hours a year watching T.V.
- Answer
-
four; one thousand, four hundred sixty
Exercise \(\PageIndex{18}\)
Astronomers believe that the age of the earth is about 4,500,000,000 years.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{19}\)
Astronomers believe that the age of the universe is about 20,000,000,000 years.
- Answer
-
twenty billion
Exercise \(\PageIndex{20}\)
There are 9690 ways to choose four objects from a collection of 20.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{21}\)
If a 412 page book has about 52 sentences per page, it will contain about 21,424 sentences.
- Answer
-
four hundred twelve; fifty-two; twenty-one thousand, four hundred twenty-four
Exercise \(\PageIndex{22}\)
In 1980, in the United States, there was $1,761,000,000,000 invested in life insurance.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{23}\)
In 1979, there were 85,000 telephones in Alaska and 2,905,000 telephones in Indiana.
- Answer
-
one thousand, nine hundred seventy-nine; eighty-five thousand; two million, nine hundred five thousand
Exercise \(\PageIndex{24}\)
In 1975, in the United States, it is estimated that 52,294,000 people drove to work alone.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{25}\)
In 1980, there were 217 prisoners under death sentence that were divorced.
- Answer
-
one thousand, nine hundred eighty; two hundred seventeen
Exercise \(\PageIndex{26}\)
In 1979, the amount of money spent in the United States for regular-session college education was $50,721,000,000,000.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{27}\)
In 1981, there were 1,956,000 students majoring in business in U.S. colleges.
- Answer
-
one thousand, nine hundred eighty one; one million, nine hundred fifty-six thousand
Exercise \(\PageIndex{28}\)
In 1980, the average fee for initial and follow up visits to a medical doctors office was about $34.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{29}\)
In 1980, there were approximately 13,100 smugglers of aliens apprehended by the Immigration border patrol.
- Answer
-
one thousand, nine hundred eighty; thirteen thousand, one hundred
Exercise \(\PageIndex{30}\)
In 1980, the state of West Virginia pumped 2,000,000 barrels of crude oil, whereas Texas pumped 975,000,000 barrels.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{31}\)
The 1981 population of Uganda was 12,630,000 people.
- Answer
-
twelve million, six hundred thirty thousand
Exercise \(\PageIndex{32}\)
In 1981, the average monthly salary offered to a person with a Master's degree in mathematics was $1,685.
For the following problems, write each number using digits.
Exercise \(\PageIndex{33}\)
Six hundred eighty-one
- Answer
-
681
Exercise \(\PageIndex{34}\)
Four hundred ninety
Exercise \(\PageIndex{35}\)
Seven thousand, two hundred one
- Answer
-
7,201
Exercise \(\PageIndex{36}\)
Nineteen thousand, sixty-five
Exercise \(\PageIndex{37}\)
Five hundred twelve thousand, three
- Answer
-
512,003
Exercise \(\PageIndex{38}\)
Two million, one hundred thirty-three thousand, eight hundred fifty-nine
Exercise \(\PageIndex{39}\)
Thirty-five million, seven thousand, one hundred one
- Answer
-
35,007,101
Exercise \(\PageIndex{40}\)
One hundred million, one thousand
Exercise \(\PageIndex{41}\)
Sixteen billion, fifty-nine thousand, four
- Answer
-
16,000,059,004
Exercise \(\PageIndex{42}\)
Nine hundred twenty billion, four hundred seventeen million, twenty-one thousand
Exercise \(\PageIndex{43}\)
Twenty-three billion
- Answer
-
23,000,000,000
Exercise \(\PageIndex{44}\)
Fifteen trillion, four billion, nineteen thousand, three hundred five
Exercise \(\PageIndex{45}\)
One hundred trillion, one
- Answer
-
100,000,000,000,001
Exercises for Review
Exercise \(\PageIndex{46}\)
( [link] ) How many digits are there?
Exercise \(\PageIndex{47}\)
( [link] ) In the number 6,641, how many tens are there?
- Answer
-
4
Exercise \(\PageIndex{48}\)
( [link] ) What is the value of 7 in 44,763?
Exercise \(\PageIndex{49}\)
( [link] ) Is there a smallest whole number? If so, what is it?
- Answer
-
yes, zero
Exercise \(\PageIndex{50}\)
( [link] ) Write a four-digit number with a 9 in the tens position.