Why did Arabic numerals replace Roman numerals?
A. They were more accurate.
B. They were based on the Quran
C. They made it easier to perform calculations
D. They were easier to read.
C. They made it easier to perform calculations
The correct answer is C. They made it easier to perform calculations.
Arabic numerals, also known as Hindu-Arabic numerals, were introduced in the 9th century and eventually replaced Roman numerals in most parts of the world. This transition occurred for several reasons, but one of the main factors was that Arabic numerals made it easier to perform calculations compared to Roman numerals.
Roman numerals are based on a system of letters that represent specific values. This system lacks a positional notation, meaning that the value of a numeral depends on its position within a number. Consequently, performing calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using Roman numerals can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming.
On the other hand, Arabic numerals have a positional notation system, where the value of a digit is determined by its position relative to the other digits in the number. This makes calculations much simpler and more efficient, allowing for quicker and more accurate mathematical operations.
Therefore, the adoption of Arabic numerals over Roman numerals primarily occurred because they provided a more convenient and practical way to perform calculations.
The correct answer is C. Arabic numerals replaced Roman numerals because they made it easier to perform calculations.
To understand why Arabic numerals were preferred over Roman numerals, it's important to understand the characteristics of each numeral system.
Roman numerals, which were used by the ancient Romans, are based on a combination of letters from the Latin alphabet. They include symbols such as I, V, X, L, C, D, and M, which represent numbers 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 respectively. Roman numerals have some limitations when it comes to performing calculations because they lack a convenient positional notation system (where the value of a digit depends on its position within the number).
On the other hand, Arabic numerals, also known as Hindu-Arabic numerals, originated in ancient India and later spread to the Arab world and Europe. They include the digits 0 to 9 and are based on a decimal, or base-10, positional notation system. In this system, the value of each digit depends on its position within the number. For example, the number 56 has a 5 in the tens place and a 6 in the ones place.
Arabic numerals revolutionized mathematics because they made calculations much simpler and more efficient. With Arabic numerals, it became easier to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Their positional notation system allowed for complex numbers to be represented more easily, enabling the development of advanced mathematical concepts.
So, while accuracy, religious affiliation, and readability are important factors, the primary reason Arabic numerals replaced Roman numerals is that they made it significantly easier to perform calculations.