Some of you may feel that mathematics is very hard to understand. Let's see how easy it is to understand mathematics when we add and subtract numbers!

What is the sum of one plus zero ( 1 + 0 = ? )? You are correct if your answer is one ( 1 ). What is the sum of one hundred plus zero ( 100 + 0 = ? )? Yes, you are correct again if your answer is one hundred ( 100 ).

What happens if you subtract zero from one hundred ( 100 - 0 = ? )? Yes, the answer is still one hundred ( 100 ). Numbers will not change when you add or subtract zero from the number.

Some people may believe the number zero is a "wasted" number since nothing seems to change when you add or subtract while using zero.

Imagine how you could ever write a number representing one hundred. It is impossible to write this number as 100 without using a zero! The zero has always been used as a "placeholder" after other whole numbers are written. For example, the number zero ensures you can never confuse the number 10 with the number 1000.

Mathematicians have known of and used the zero for many centuries. The Babylonians were using the zero in the Middle East in 200-300 BC. The Mayans used the zero in Mexico in 4 AD. The Mayan calendar required them to use zero many times during the year. The zero was written about and used in India in 665 AD.

It is interesting to see what happens to numbers when they are multiplied by zero. Remember, your number never changes when you add or subtract zero.

Multiply five times zero ( 5 X 0 = ? ). Yes, the answer is zero ( 0 ). Any number multiplied by zero equals zero.

The field of mathematics would be very different without the number zero. How could you write some years without using the zero? How would you write the age of someone who is ten years old?

We can thank the Babylonians, the Mayans, and India mathematicians for their part in developing such an important number within our system of mathematics.