Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with Basic Math and Pre-algebra 5 Chapter 1: We''ve Got Your Numbers 7 Getting in Place with Numbers and Digits 8 Rollover: Rounding Numbers Up and Down 10 Using the Number Line with the Big Four 12 The Column Lineup: Adding and Subtracting 14 Multiplying Multiple Digits 15 Cycling through Long Division 16 Solutions to We''ve Got Your Numbers 19 Chapter 2: Smooth Operators: Working with the Big Four Operations 23 Switching Things Up with Inverse Operations and the Commutative Property 24 Getting with the In-Group: Parentheses and the Associative Property 27 Becoming Unbalanced: Inequalities 29 Special Times: Powers and Square Roots 31 Answers to Problems in Smooth Operators 34 Chapter 3: Getting Down with Negative Numbers 37 Understanding Where Negative Numbers Come From 37 Sign-Switching: Understanding Negation and Absolute Value 39 Adding with Negative Numbers 40 Subtracting with Negative Numbers 42 Knowing Signs of the Times (And Division) for Negative Numbers 43 Answers to Problems in Getting Down with Negative Numbers 45 Chapter 4: It''s Just an Expression 49 Evaluating Expressions with Addition and Subtraction 50 Evaluating Expressions with Multiplication and Division 51 Making Sense of Mixed-Operator Expressions 52 Handling Powers Responsibly 53 Prioritizing Parentheses 55 Pulling Apart Parentheses and Powers 56 Figuring Out Nested Parentheses 58 Bringing It All Together: The Order of Operations 59 Solutions to It''s Just an Expression 61 Chapter 5: Dividing Attention: Divisibility, Factors, and Multiples 69 Checking for Leftovers: Divisibility Tests 70 Understanding Factors and Multiples 72 One Number, Indivisible: Identifying Prime (And Composite) Numbers 73 Generating a Number''s Factors 75 Decomposing a Number into Its Prime Factors 77 Finding the Greatest Common Factor 78 Generating the Multiples of a Number 80 Finding the Least Common Multiple 81 Solutions to Divisibility, Factors, and Multiples 83 Part 2: Slicing Things Up: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents 89 Chapter 6: Fractions Are a Piece of Cake 91 Getting Down the Basic Fraction Stuff 91 In Mixed Company: Converting between Mixed Numbers and Improper Fractions 94 Increasing and Reducing the Terms of Fractions 96 Comparing Fractions with Cross-Multiplication 99 Working with Ratios and Proportions 101 Solutions to Fractions Are a Piece of Cake 103 Chapter 7: Fractions and the Big Four 109 Multiplying Fractions: A Straight Shot 109 Flipping for Fraction Division 111 Reaching the Common Denominator: Adding Fractions 113 The Other Common Denominator: Subtracting Fractions 116 Multiplying and Dividing Mixed Numbers 118 Carried Away: Adding Mixed Numbers 120 Borrowing from the Whole: Subtracting Mixed Numbers 123 Solutions to Fractions and the Big Four 126 Chapter 8: Getting to the Point with Decimals 143 Getting in Place: Basic Decimal Stuff 143 Simple Decimal-Fraction Conversions 146 New Lineup: Adding and Subtracting Decimals 148 Counting Decimal Places: Multiplying Decimals 150 Points on the Move: Dividing Decimals 151 Decimals to Fractions 153 Fractions to Decimals 155 Solutions to Getting to the Point with Decimals 157 Chapter 9: Playing the Percentages 165 Converting Percents to Decimals 165 Changing Decimals to Percents 167 Switching from Percents to Fractions 168 Converting Fractions to Percents 169 Solving a Variety of Percent Problems Using Word Equations 171 Solutions to Playing the Percentages 173 Part 3: a Giant Step Forward: Intermediate Topics 177 Chapter 10: Seeking a Higher Power through Scientific Notation 179 On the Count of Zero: Understanding Powers of Ten 180 Exponential Arithmetic: Multiplying and Dividing Powers of Ten 182 Representing Numbers in Scientific Notation 183 Multiplying and Dividing with Scientific Notation 184 Answers to Problems in Seeking a Higher Power through Scientific Notation 186 Chapter 11: Weighty Questions on Weights and Measures 189 The Basics of the English System 190 Going International with the Metric System 192 Converting Between English and Metric Units 194 Answers to Problems in Weighty Questions on Weights and Measures 198 Chapter 12: Shaping Up with Geometry 203 Getting in Shape: Polygon (And Non-Polygon) Basics 204 Squaring Off with Quadrilaterals 204 Making a Triple Play with Triangles 208 Getting Around with Circle Measurements 212 Building Solid Measurement Skills 214 Answers to Problems in Shaping Up with Geometry 218 Chapter 13: Getting Graphic: Xy-Graphs 223 Getting the Point of the Xy-Graph 223 Drawing the Line on the Xy-Graph 227 Answers to Problems in Getting Graphic: Xy-Graphs 230 Part 4: the X Factor: Introducing Algebra 235 Chapter 14: Expressing Yourself with Algebraic Expressions 237 Plug It In: Evaluating Algebraic Expressions 238 Knowing the Terms of Separation 240 Adding and Subtracting Like Terms 242 Multiplying and Dividing Terms 243 Simplifying Expressions by Combining Like Terms 245 Simplifying Expressions with Parentheses 247 FOILing: Dealing with Two Sets of Parentheses 249 Answers to Problems in Expressing Yourself with Algebraic Expressions 251 Chapter 15: Finding the Right Balance: Solving Algebraic Equations 259 Solving Simple Algebraic Equations 259 Equality for All: Using the Balance Scale to Isolate X 262 Switching Sides: Rearranging Equations to Isolate X 264 Barring Fractions: Cross-Multiplying to Simplify Equations 266 Answers to Problems in Finding the Right Balance: Solving Algebraic Equations 268 Part 5: the Part of Tens 277 Chapter 16: Ten Alternative Numeral and Number Systems 279 Tally Marks 279 Bundled Tally Marks 280 Egyptian Numerals 280 Babylonian Numerals 281 Ancient Greek Numerals 281 Roman Numerals 282 Mayan Numerals 282 Base-2 (Binary) Numbers 283 Base-16 (Hexadecimal) Numbers 284 Prime-Based Numbers 285 Chapter 17: Ten Curious Types of Numbers 287 Square Numbers 287 Triangular Numbers 288 Cubic Numbers 289 Factorial Numbers 289 Powers of Two 290 Perfect Numbers 290 Amicable Numbers 291 Prime Numbers 291 Mersenne Primes 291 Fermat Primes 292 Index 293.