Counting, Numbers, and Number Systems

[Jay Anderson]

One time when I was tutoring a high school student with mathematics and asked them about base 10 they said they hadn't heard that before.  I was shocked to find that no one had pointed out to this student the basis of the very number system they use everyday. 

For those who find it valuable to know the origin of the numbers they use, here are some words to look up and research:

"Arabic" numerals

base 10

cardinal

count(ing)

number

number system(s)

ordinal