A Story of Numbers — Quiz

Q1. Method 3 uses written symbols I, II, III,..., XX. Priya argues this is a real improvement over Method 1 (sticks). Which reason supports her?

• A. Method 3 needs no symbols at all, only sounds
• B. Method 3 uses a base-10 place-value system
• C. Method 3 has unlimited symbols, unlike sticks
• D. Method 3 can be written down on paper and shared, while sticks must be carried physically

Q2. Ravi extends Method 2 from by using doubled letters — aa, bb, cc,..., zz — after z. How many objects can his extended system now count in total?

• A. 26
• B. 676
• C. 100
• D. 52

Q3. Gumulgal (Australia), Bakairi (South America) and Bushmen (South Africa) all counted in 2s. Which conclusion does the chapter draw from this similarity?

• A. All three groups borrowed the system from the Romans
• B. All three groups invented the system independently in the year 3000 BCE
• C. Counting in 2s is the most efficient system for large numbers
• D. Counting in 2s may go back to a common ancestor of all humans tens of thousands of years old

Q4. Names a tally bone found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, estimated to be 20,000–35,000 years old. This bone is called the

• A. Lebombo bone
• B. Bakairi bone
• C. Gumulgal bone
• D. Ishango bone

Q5. The Roman 'one-less' shortcut: IV stands for 5 − 1 = 4 and IX for 10 − 1 = 9. By the same logic, XL stands for

• A. 40
• B. 60
• C. 90
• D. 110

Q6. The Roman system is hard for multiplication. Which explanation best captures why?

• A. Roman symbols cannot represent zero
• B. Roman symbols change shape when multiplied
• C. Romans never multiplied large numbers in trade
• D. Roman numerals have no fixed place value, so column-wise multiplication of digits is not possible

Q7. Following the Egyptian written rule the number 324 is written as how many of each landmark?

• A. Two 100-symbols, three 10-symbols, four 1-symbols
• B. Four 100-symbols, two 10-symbols, three 1-symbols
• C. Three 1000-symbols, two 100-symbols, four 10-symbols
• D. Three 100-symbols, two 10-symbols, four 1-symbols

Q8. Aarti follows the base-n rule from to build a base-7 system. The first four landmark numbers of her system are

• A. 1, 7, 14, 21
• B. 0, 7, 49, 343
• C. 1, 7, 49, 343
• D. 7, 49, 343, 2401

Q9. A shortcoming of the Egyptian base-10 system that the Hindu system later fixes. Which statement captures it best?

• A. Egyptians needed a new symbol for each new power of 10, so very large numbers required unending symbols
• B. Egyptians could not write any number greater than 100
• C. Egyptians wrote numbers from right to left only
• D. Egyptians had no symbol for 1

Q10. In the Mesopotamian base-60 reading, the two-place number whose first place is 10 and second place is 40 has the value

• A. 50
• B. 600
• C. 640
• D. 1040

Q11. The early Mesopotamian system left blank spaces where the modern system would write 0. Which problem does this cause?

• A. Numbers below 60 cannot be written at all
• B. The symbols for 1 and 10 cannot be combined
• C. Multiplication of any two numbers becomes impossible
• D. Numbers like 2 and 120 can become hard to tell apart from the writing alone

Q12. The three basic Mayan numeral marks. Which mapping is correct?

• A. Dot = 5, bar = 1, shell = 10
• B. Dot = 0, bar = 1, shell = 5
• C. Dot = 1, bar = 5, shell = 0
• D. Dot = 10, bar = 20, shell = 0

Q13. The Yajurveda Samhita lists number names by powers of 10. The correct ordering of the first five names is

• A. eka, dasha, shata, sahasra, ayuta
• B. eka, shata, dasha, sahasra, ayuta
• C. dasha, eka, sahasra, shata, ayuta
• D. eka, ayuta, shata, sahasra, dasha

Q14. How Indian (Hindu) numerals reached Europe. Which sequence matches the chapter's account?

• A. India → Europe directly, around 500 CE
• B. India → China → Europe, via the Silk Route around 1100 CE
• C. India → the Arab world around 800 CE → Europe via Fibonacci around 1200 CE
• D. Europe → India → the Arab world, around 1200 CE

Q15. A teacher uses the Class 8 chapter to bridge tally marks (Class 1) with base-10 place value (Class 5). The most natural classroom step between the two is to first practise

• A. Writing numbers in Roman numerals up to 100
• B. Memorising the Yajurveda names of powers of 10
• C. Translating each tally mark into a Mesopotamian wedge
• D. Bundling tally strokes into fixed groups (e.g., groups of 10) and counting the bundles