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Essential Math Words That Start With O

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Explore Key "O" Words in Mathematics with Examples

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …… You can read these numbers easily, right? What is the first number? It is ONE— o-n-e, one. Isn’t it? Maths starts with the number “1”. Now, you can imagine how important the letter ‘O’ is in Mathematics.


Though the numbers start with 0, can you recall the number series taught to you in your school? Or, how did your mother teach you counting? So, in general, the counting begins with “1”.


Many other important words begin with the alphabet O. A list of Maths words that start with O is given below. Add them to your vocabulary and become a pro in Mathematics.


Lists of Maths Words that Begin with the Letter ‘O’

1. One: One is the smallest natural number. It is written as ‘1’ in numbers. It represents a single unit or quantity. It lies between 0 and 2.

2. Odd Numbers: The numbers which are not divisible by 2 are called odd numbers. The series of 1, 3, 5, 7, …. is a series of odd numbers. When these numbers are divided by 2, they leave 1 as a remainder.

3. Octagon: A plane figure which has 8 sides is called an Octagon. It has eight vertices and 8 angles. Also, the prism which is bounded by the 2 octagonal bases and 8 square sides is called an octagonal prism. It has 16 vertices and 12 edges.

4. Obtuse Angle: The angle which is greater than 90° and less than 180° is called the obtuse angle. The triangle in which one angle measures more than 90°, i.e., an obtuse angle is called an obtuse triangle.


Examples of Obtuse Triangle

Examples of Obtuse Triangle


5. Open Figure: Unlike a closed figure like a triangle, or quadrilateral, there are some figures in which one of the line segments or curves do not meet. These figures do not have any starting or ending point. Some examples of the open figure are shown in the below figure.


Example of Open Figure


Example of Open Figure


6. Ounce: In general, an ounce is referred to as a very small amount of something. In the United States, it is used to measure weight. There are 16 ounces in the pound and it is equivalent to 28.35 grams. Ounces is abbreviated as oz.

7. Origin: Origin is the point from which coordinates are measured. It is the point at which the X- and Y-axis meet and is generally considered as (0, 0).

8. Order: Order shows the arrangement of different items or sequences with each other following a particular pattern or sequence. Also, the degree of an equation, expression, etc. is denoted by an ordinal number. In matrices, the order is referred to as the number of rows and columns. In the differential equation, the order of an equation is referred to as the number of differentiation required to reach the highest derivatives.


Do You Know?

  • The sum of two odd numbers is always an even number whereas the product of two odd numbers always results in an odd number.

  • Number 0 is an even number.


Conclusion

In this article, we have learned about the Mathematical words that start from the letter ‘O’. These words will help you to improve your vocabulary. To learn more about such words and enhance your vocabulary, explore our website.

FAQs on Essential Math Words That Start With O

1. What are some important mathematical terms that start with the letter O?

Several important mathematical terms begin with the letter 'O', covering various topics from basic arithmetic to advanced geometry. Key examples include:

  • Odd Number: An integer that is not divisible by two.
  • One: The first positive integer, representing a single unit.
  • Origin: The starting point (0, 0) on a Cartesian coordinate plane.
  • Obtuse Angle: An angle that measures more than 90° but less than 180°.
  • Octagon: A polygon with eight sides and eight angles.
  • Ordinate: The y-coordinate of a point in a coordinate system.
  • Onto Function: A function where every element in the codomain is mapped to by at least one element in the domain.

2. What defines an odd number in mathematics?

An odd number is any integer that cannot be exactly divided by 2. When an odd number is divided by 2, it always leaves a remainder of 1. A simple way to identify an odd number is to check its last digit; if the last digit is 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9, the number is odd. Examples include 3, 15, 87, and 101.

3. What is the significance of the origin in coordinate geometry?

The origin is the fundamental reference point in a coordinate system. It is the point where the horizontal x-axis and the vertical y-axis intersect. Its coordinates are always (0, 0). All other points on the plane are located and measured based on their horizontal and vertical distance from the origin, making it the anchor of the entire coordinate grid.

4. What is the difference between an obtuse angle and an obtuse triangle?

An obtuse angle is an individual angle that measures more than 90° but less than 180°. An obtuse triangle is a triangle that contains one (and only one) obtuse angle. The other two angles in an obtuse triangle must be acute (less than 90°) because the sum of all angles in a triangle must equal 180°.

5. How does an ordinate help locate a point on a graph?

The ordinate is the y-coordinate of a point in a 2D Cartesian system. It specifies the point's vertical position or its perpendicular distance from the x-axis. Paired with the abscissa (x-coordinate), which gives the horizontal position, the ordinate provides one of the two crucial values needed to uniquely identify and plot any point on the coordinate plane.

6. Why can a triangle have only one obtuse angle?

A triangle can only have one obtuse angle because the sum of the interior angles of any triangle must be exactly 180°. An obtuse angle, by definition, is greater than 90°. If a triangle had two obtuse angles (e.g., 91° and 91°), their sum alone would be 182°, which already exceeds the 180° limit without even considering the third angle. Therefore, it's geometrically impossible for a triangle to contain more than one obtuse angle.

7. Is the symbol 'Ø' in set theory the same as the number zero or the letter 'O'?

No, the symbol 'Ø' is distinct from both the number zero (0) and the letter 'O'. In mathematics, 'Ø' represents the empty set or null set—a set that contains no elements at all. Zero (0) is a numerical value, and 'O' is a letter of the alphabet, sometimes used as a variable. Confusing these three can lead to fundamental errors, especially in topics like set theory and algebra.

8. What is the real-world application of knowing what an octagon is?

Understanding the properties of an octagon is useful in various real-world contexts. The most common example is the iconic shape of a stop sign in traffic systems, which is a regular octagon. This unique shape helps drivers recognize the sign from a distance, even in poor visibility. In architecture and design, octagonal shapes are used to create buildings, rooms, windows, and decorative tiles for aesthetic appeal and structural stability.