Mathematics / Year 7 / Number and Algebra / Number and place value

Curriculum content descriptions

Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime numbers (ACMNA149)

Elaborations
  • defining and comparing prime and composite numbers and explaining the difference between them
  • applying knowledge of factors to strategies for expressing whole numbers as products of powers of prime factors, such as repeated division by prime factors or creating factor trees
  • solving problems involving lowest common multiples and greatest common divisors (highest common factors) for pairs of whole numbers by comparing their prime factorisation
General capabilities
  • Numeracy Numeracy
ScOT terms

Indices,  Prime numbers

Video

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Imagine if anyone was able to read all our secret, encrypted messages and information. Watch and find out how scientists at the Australian National University are developing a new encryption system using quantum physics and quantum computing.

Video

Catalyst: Small scale measurements

What units of measurements do we use to describe incredibly small things like blood cells and atoms? Watch as you are taken on a journey to explain the different units of measurement that we use to describe the very small.

Video

MathXplosion, Ep 6: Zero the hero

What is the role of zero as a placeholder for large numbers such as 1 million, 1 billion and 1 trillion? Find out about the notion of place value and powers of ten through the act of bead counting.

Audio

Self Improvement Wednesday: The beauty of prime numbers

A prime number is a number that only has two factors: one and itself. Listen to Adam Spencer and Richard Glover discussing prime numbers. They cover how we define these numbers and how and why prime numbers are widely used in internet encryption.

Video

Patterns, primes and Pascal's Triangle

Are you intrigued by patterns? Check out Vi Hart as she explains how to visualise patterns in prime numbers, using Ulam's Spiral. Watch as Vi creates patterns, using Pascal's Triangle to explore relationships in number. See what happens when she circles the odd numbers. What rule does she use to create the final pattern?

Video

Numbers Count: What are factors?

What are factors? Watch as the jelly babies in this clip show you! What are the factors of 12? How many factors does the number 11 have? Try explaining to a friend what a prime number is.

Online

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Students engage in a photo rip up activity to emphasize the permanency of online information, they explore factor trees, doubling and line graphs through the lens of sharing information, and they collaboratively develop a set of protocols around sharing information online.

Online

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