There are lots of symbols in math. Using them correctly may be achieved by making efforts constantly.
Try the following questions, and see how many can you answer properly?
A. To represent a two-digit number with different tens-digit and units-digit, what is the best?
∇ ∗ ,
(∇ ∗) ,
10 x ∇+ ⋈ ,
10 (∇) + ∗,
10 (∇) + ⋈ ,
10w + m, (where w, m are digits)
B. Write the following numbers in integers or decimals, then arrange them in order (from largest to smallest):
37, 3 x 4, 3 ½
C. To represent three times of a variable x: which is the one that we prefer not to use:
3x, 3 x x, 3(x)
D. The following expressions contain signed (negative) numbers. Which of them will you recommend to use:
3 + (-2), 3 + – 2, 3 – 2,
3 x (-2), 3 x -2
All these seems to be small stuffs. But it is in these small stuffs that we shall pay attention, to keep the right usage consistently.