The abacus, also called a counting frame, was the earliest
aid for math calculations. The term abacus comes from the Greek word “abax”,
which means “ calculating tablet”. It is made out of beans or stones that are moved
in wooden or metal tablets. The device was developed in China at around 2700-2300
B.C. The abacus uses a sexagesimal numeral system, meaning that it uses the
number sixty as its base. The abacus was
mainly used for addition and subtraction, since it proved to be too difficult to
use for complex calculations. This system was adopted by Egyptians and was used
across Eurasia and America to assist calculations in trade and commerce, and to
keep an accurate account of goods and profits.
Abaci are currently being used with children to help them
learn arithmetic and the numerical system. Today it is widely used in Africa,
Japan, Russia and China to make the process of learning mathematical concepts
easier.
The abacus works on the place value system. The five beads below
the bar each represent a value of 1. The two beads above the bar each have a
value of 5. Beads pushed against the bar represent the number.
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