Math Grade 6 Vocabulary Words

surface area

The total area of the faces (including the bases) and curved surfaces of a solid figure.

upper quartile

The upper quartile is the middle (the median) of the upper half of the data on a box plot. One-fourth of the data lies above the upper quartile and three-fourths lies below. (also known as Q3 or third quartile)

solution of an equation

The value of a variable that makes the equation true.

solution of an inequality

The value of a variable that makes the inequality true.

ounce (oz)

customary unit of weight equal to one sixteenth of a pound. 16 ounces = 1 pound

repeating decimal

decimal which has repeating digits or a repeating pattern of digits.

formula

mathematical rule that is written as an equation.

unit rate

rate with a denominator of 1.

unit square

square with side lengths of 1 unit each. It has an area of 1 square unit.

Distributive Property

× (b + c) = (a × b) + (a × c) and a × (b - c) = (a × b) -(a × c), where a, b, and c stand for any real numbers.

ratio

A comparison of two numbers using division.

pint (pt)

A customary unit of capacity. 1 pint = 2 cups

quart (qt)

A customary unit of capacity. 1 quart = 2 pints or 1 quart = 4 cups

pound (lb)

A customary unit of weight. 1 pound = 16 ounces

gallon (gal)

A customary unit of capacity. 1 gallon = 4 quarts

ton (T)

A customary unit of weight. 1 ton (T) = 2,000 pounds A metric ton (t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms (about 2,200 pounds).

terminating decimal

A decimal which has a finite number of digits.

line plot

A diagram showing frequency of data on a number line. (also known as a dot plot)

dot plot

A diagram showing frequency of data on a number line. (also known as a line plot)

number line

A diagram that represents numbers as points on a line.

box plot

A diagram that shows the five number summary of a distribution. (Five number summary includes lowest value, lower quartile, median, upper quartile, and highest value.)

bar model

A drawing that looks like a segment of tape, used to illustrate number relationships. (also known as a strip diagram, tape diagram, fraction strip, or length model)

tape diagram

A drawing that looks like a segment of tape, used to illustrate number relationships. (also known as a strip diagram, bar model, fraction strip, or length model)

face

A flat surface on a solid figure.

simplest form

A fraction is in simplest form when the greatest common factor of the numerator and denominator is 1.

unit fraction

A fraction that has 1 as its numerator. A unit fraction names 1 equal part of a whole.

fraction greater than one

A fraction with a numerator greater than its denominator.

decimal fraction

A fractional number with a denominator of 10 or a power of 10. It can be written with a decimal point.

bar graph

A graph that uses the height or length of rectangles to compare data.

double number line diagram

A graphic diagram that shows a proportional relationship between two quantities

algebraic expression

A group of numbers, symbols, and variables that express an operation or a series of operations

cluster

A group of the same or similar elements gathered or occurring closely together on a graph.

fraction bar

A horizontal bar that separates the numerator and the denominator

trapezoid

A quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides and one pair of sides that are not parallel.

rectangle

A quadrilateral with 2 pairs of congruent, parallel sides and 4 right angles.

variable

A quantity that changes or can have different values. A symbol, usually a letter, that can stand for a variable quantity.

dividend

A quantity to be divided.

statistical question

A question that generates a variety of categorical or numerical answers.

rate

A ratio comparing two different units.

cube

A rectangular solid having 6 congruent square faces.

axis

A reference line from which distances or angles are measured in a coordinate grid. (plural - axes)

benchmark

A reference point, such as 0, 1/2,, or 1, that is used for estimating fractions.

pattern

A repeating or growing sequence. An ordered set of numbers arranged according to a rule.

composite figure

A shape made up of two or more simpler figures, such as triangles and quadrilaterals

three-dimensional figure

A solid figure that has length, width, and height.

percent

A special ratio that compares a number to 100 using the symbol %.

statistical variability

A spread in the distribution of data. An example is the interquartile range.

meter (m)

A standard unit of length in the metric system.

equation

A statement that two mathematical expressions are equal.

algorithm

A step-by-step method for computing.

is not equal to

A symbol used to compare two quantities in an inequality where the two quantities do not equal each other.

customary system

A system of measurement used in the U.S. The system includes units for measuring length, capacity, and weight

metric system

A system of measurement based on tens. The basic unit of capacity is the liter. The basic unit of length is the meter. The basic unit of mass is the gram.

distribution

A table that shows how many of each type of data.

relative frequency table

A table which shows the percent of time each data item or group of data occurs.

frequency table

A table which shows the number of times each data value or range of values occurs.

polyhedron

A three-dimensional figure in which all the faces are polygons. Polyhedrons have no curved surfaces.

prism

A three-dimensional figure that has two congruent and parallel faces that are polygons. The remaining faces are parallelograms.

right triangle

A triangle that has one 90º angle.

obtuse triangle

A triangle that contains one angle with a measure greater than 90º (obtuse angle) and two acute angles.

isosceles triangle

A triangle that has exactly 2 equal sides.

scalene triangle

A triangle that has no congruent sides.

equiangular triangle

A triangle with all equal angles (60º).

equilateral triangle

A triangle with all sides the same length.

acute triangle

A triangle with no angle measuring 90º or more.

coordinate system

A two-dimensional system in which the coordinates of a point are its distances from two intersecting, usually perpendicular, straight lines called axes. (also known as a coordinate grid or coordinate plane)

net

A two-dimensional shape that can be folded into a three-dimensional figure is a net of that figure. (also known as a network)

coordinate grid

A two-dimensional system in which the coordinates of a point are its distances from two intersecting, usually perpendicular, straight lines called axes. (also known as coordinate plane or coordinate system)

coordinate plane

A two-dimensional system in which the coordinates of a point are its distances from two intersecting, usually perpendicular, straight lines called axes. (also known as coordinate grid or coordinate system)

conversion factor

A type of rate in which two quantities use different units but remain equal; used to convert a measurement from one unit to another.

cubic unit

A unit such as a cubic meter to measure volume or capacity.

independent variable

A variable in a mathematical equation whose value determines that of a dependent variable.

expression

A variable or combination of variables, numbers, and symbols that represents a mathematical relationship.

fraction

A way of representing part of a whole or part of a group by telling the number of equal parts in the whole and the number of parts you are describing.

prime number

A whole number greater than 0 that has exactly two different factors, 1 and itself.

Additive Identity Property of 0

Adding zero to a number gives a sum identical to the given number.

like terms

Terms that have the same variables and the same exponents.

mass

The amount of matter in an object. Usually measured by comparing with an object of known mass. While gravity influences weight, it does not affect mass.

value

The amount something is worth.

difference

The amount that remains after one quantity is subtracted from another.

numerator

The number or expression written above the line in a fraction.

denominator

The number or expression written below the line in a fraction.

mode

The number or numbers that occur most often in a data set.

base of an exponent

The number that is raised to a power. In 2 is the base and 3 is the exponent. 2 is raised to the power of 3. 2 x 2 x 2 = 8

exponent

The number that tells how many equal factors there are. 5 is the base and 2 is the exponent. 5 is raised to the power of 2. ( 5 ×5 = 25)

additive inverse

The opposite of a number. When a number is added to its additive inverse, the sum is 0.

height

The perpendicular distance from a vertex to the opposite side of a plane figure.

altitude

The perpendicular distance from a vertex to the opposite side of a plane figure.

edge

The place where two flat surfaces of a solid figure meet.

vertex

The point at which two line segments, lines, or rays meet to form an angle. (plural - vertices)

multiple

The product of a whole number and any other whole number.

Associative Property of Multiplication

The product stays the same when the grouping of factors is changed. (a × b) × c = a × (b × c), where a, b, and c stand for any real numbers.

Commutative Property of Multiplication

The product stays the same when the order of the factors is changed. a × b = b × a, where a and b are any real numbers.

divisor

The quantity by which another quantity is to be divided.

minuend

The quantity from which another quantity, the subtrahend, is to be subtracted.

interval

The range of values represented by each bar. The data is divided into equal increments.

substitution

The replacement of the letters in an algebraic expression with known values.

sum

The result of addition.

product

The result of multiplication.

quotient

The result of the division of one quantity by another.

statistics

The science of collecting, organizing, representing, and interpreting data.

integers

The set of whole numbers and their opposites.

base of a polygon

The side of a polygon that is perpendicular to the altitude or height.

minimum

The smallest amount; the smallest number in a data set.

least common multiple

The smallest common multiple of a set of two or more numbers.

lower extreme

The smallest or least number out of a data set, usually farther away from interquartile range than other data in set. (also known as minimum)

gram (g)

The standard unit of mass in the metric system. 1,000 grams = 1 kilogram

mean

The sum of a set of numbers divided by the number of elements in the set; a type of average.

lateral area

The sum of the lateral faces of a solid figure.

Associative Property of Addition

The sum stays the same when the grouping of addends is changed. (a + b) + c = a + (b + c), where a, b, and c stand for any real numbers.

Commutative Property of Addition

The sum stays the same when the order of the addends is changed. a + b = b + a, where a and b are any real numbers.

third quartile

The third quartile is the middle (the median) of the upper half of the data on a box plot. One-fourth of the data lies above the third quartile and three-fourths lies below. (also known as Q3 or upper quartile)

unit cube

A precisely fixed quantity used to measure volume.

right rectangular prism

A prism with 6 rectangular faces where the lateral edge is perpendicular to the plane of the base.

parallelogram

A quadrilateral with 2 pairs of parallel and congruent sides.

signed number

Positive or negative number.

magnitude

Size; a property by which something can be compared as larger or smaller than other objects of the same kind.

histogram

A bar graph in which the labels for the bars are numerical intervals.

base of a solid figure

A base of a solid figure is usually thought of as a face upon which it can "sit." Most solid figures have more than one base.

attribute

A characteristic. e.g., size, shape or color

polygon

A closed figure formed from line segments that meet only at their endpoints.

line of symmetry

A line that divides a figure into two congruent halves that are mirror images of each other.

diagonal

A line that goes through vertices of a polygon that are not next to each other.

inequality

A mathematical sentence that compares two unequal expressions using one of the symbols <, >, ≤, ≥, or ≠.

numerical expression

A mathematical statement including numbers and operations.

measure of variability

A measure of how much a collection of data is spread out. Commonly used types include range and quartiles. (also known as spread)

spread

A measure of how much a collection of data is spread out. Commonly used types include range and quartiles. (also known as measure of variability)

capacity

A measurement of the amount a container can hold when filled.

outlier

A number in a set of data that is much larger or smaller than most of the other numbers in the set.

divisible

A number is divisible by another number if the quotient is a counting number without a remainder.

rational number

A number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers.

mixed number

A number with an integer and a fraction part.

constant

A number with a value that is always the same.

decimal

A number with one or more digits to the right of a decimal point. Decimal is used as another name for decimal fraction.

term

A number, variable, product, or quotient in an expression. A term is not a sum or difference.

coefficient

A numerical factor in a term of an algebraic expression.

coordinate pair

A pair of numbers that gives the coordinates of a point on a grid in this order: (horizontal coordinate, vertical coordinate). (also known as an ordered pair)

ordered pair

A pair of numbers that gives the coordinates of a point on a grid in this order (horizontal coordinate, vertical coordinate). (also known as a coordinate pair)

square

A parallelogram with 4 equal angles AND 4 equal sides.

gap

A place on a graph where no data values are present.

two- dimensional figure

A plane, flat figure that has length and width.

quadrilateral

A polygon with 4 sides.

regular polygon

A polygon with all sides the same length and all angles the same measure.

pyramid

A polyhedron whose base is a polygon and whose other faces are triangles that share a common vertex.

quantity

An amount.

array

An arrangement of objects in equal rows.

measure of center

An average; a single value that is used to represent a collection of data. Three commonly used types of averages are mode, median, and mean. (also known as measure of central tendency or measure of average)

proportion

An equation showing that two ratios are equivalent.

linear equation

An equation whose solutions form a straight line on a coordinate plane.

factor

An integer that divides evenly into another.

Order of Operations

An order, agreed on by mathematicians, for performing operations to simplify expressions.

coordinates

An ordered pair of numbers that identify a point on a coordinate plane.

table

An organized way to list data. Tables usually have rows and columns of data.

common factor

Any common factor of two or more numbers.

common multiple

Any common multiple of two or more numbers.

addend

Any number being added.

equivalent expressions

Expressions which are equal to each other for any values of their variables. They can be generated by properties of operations.

common denominator

For two or more fractions, a common denominator is a common multiple of the denominators.

equivalent fractions

Fractions that have the same value.

greater than

Greater than is used to compare two numbers when the first number is larger than the second number.

greater than or equal to

Greater than or equal to is used to compare two quantities in an inequality where the first quantity is larger than or equal to the second quantity.

opposites

Having a different sign but the same numeral.

congruent

Having exactly the same size and shape.

infinite

Having no boundaries or limits.

length

How long something is. The distance from one point to another. Length is measured in units such as inches, feet, centimeters, etc.

Addition Property of Equality

If you add the same number to both sides of an equation, the two sides will remain equal.

Division Property of Equality

If you divide both sides of an equation by the same nonzero number, the two sides will remain equal.

Multiplication Property of Equality

If you multiply both sides of an equation by the same number, the two sides will remain equal.

Subtraction Property of Equality

If you subtract the same number from both sides of an equation, the two sides will remain equal.

y-axis

In a Cartesian grid, the vertical axis.

x-axis

In a Cartesian grid, x-axis the horizontal axis.

dependent variable

In a function, a variable whose value is determined by the value of the related independent variable.

x-coordinate

In an ordered pair, the value that is always written first.

y-coordinate

In an ordered pair, the value that is always written second.

mean absolute deviation

In statistics, the absolute deviation of an element of a data set is the absolute difference between that element and a given point.

subtrahend

In subtraction, the subtrahend is the number being subtracted.

data

Information, especially numerical information. Usually organized for analysis.

less than

Less than is used to compare two numbers when the first number is smaller than the second number.

less than or equal to

Less than or equal to is used to compare two quantities in an inequality where the first quantity is smaller than or equal to the second quantity.

constant speed

Movement at a fixed (constant) distance per unit of time.

Multiplicative Identity Property of 1

Multiplying a factor by one gives a product identical to the given factor.

equivalent

Naming the same number.

negative numbers

Numbers less than 0.

positive numbers

Numbers that are greater than zero.

length (l)

One dimension of a two- or three- dimensional figure.

multiplicative inverse

One of two numbers whose product is 1. (also known as reciprocal)

reciprocal

One of two numbers whose product is 1. (also known as multiplicative inverse)

inverse operations

Operations that undo each other.

compatible numbers

Pairs of numbers that are easy to compute mentally.

liter (L)

The basic unit of capacity in the metric system. 1 liter = 1,000 milliliters

range

The difference between the greatest number and the least number in a set of numbers.

interquartile range

The difference between the upper quartile and the lower quartile.

absolute value

The distance of a number from zero on the number line. Absolute value is always positive.

prime factorization

The expression of a number as the product of its prime factors.

lateral face

The face of a prism or pyramid that is not a base.

first quartile

The first quartile is the middle (the median) of the lower half of the data on a box plot. One-fourth of the data lies below the first quartile and three-fourths lies above. (also known as Q1 or lower quartile)

quadrants

The four sections of a coordinate grid that are separated by the axes.

upper extreme

The greatest or largest number out of a data set, usually farther away from interquartile range than other data in set. (also known as maximum)

origin

The intersection of the x- and y-axes in a coordinate plane, described by the ordered pair (0, 0).

maximum

The largest amount; the greatest number in a data set.

greatest common factor

The largest factor of two or more numbers.

lower quartile

The lower quartile is the middle (the median) of the lower half of the data on a box plot. One-fourth of the data lies below the first quartile and three-fourths lies above. (also known as Q1 or first quartile)

weight

The measure of how heavy something is.

area

The measure, in square units, of the interior region of a two-dimensional figure or the surface of a three-dimensional figure.

median

The middle number of a set of numbers when the numbers are arranged from least to greatest, or the mean of two middle numbers when the set has two middle numbers.

volume

The number of cubic units it takes to fill a figure.

solid figure

Three-dimensional figure that has length, width, and height.

simplify

To express a fraction in simplest form.

evaluate

To find the value of a mathematical expression.

plot

To place points on a graph or coordinate plane.

compose

To put together, as in numbers or shapes.

decompose

To separate into components or basic elements.

equivalent ratios

Two ratios that have the same value when simplified.

line symmetry

What a figure has if it can be folded in half and its two parts match exactly.

whole numbers

Whole numbers are 0 and the counting numbers 1, 2, 3, and so on.