Question

XC is the same as ________.
(a) 100 – 10
(b) 100 + 10
(c) 100 – 50
(d) 100 – 9

Answer 1

Hint: First, know what are roman numerals and how do we represent them. Find the counting numbers represented by the roman numerals X and C and hence, find the correct expression that XC will represent from the given options.

Complete step by step answer:
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome. Numbers in this system are represented by combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet. For example I represents 1, V represents 5, X represents 10, L represents 50, C stands for 100, D and M are for 500 and 1000 respectively. The notation IV can be read as “one less than 5” and VI can be read as “one more than 5”. Each digit of the counting number is represented by a fixed symbol or combination of symbols.
Now, let us come to the question. We have been provided with the roman numerals XC and we have to find the correct expression that it will represent in the form of counting numbers.
Since C represents 100 and X represents 10, therefore the notation XC can be read as “10 less than 100”, because X is present before C, which is equal to 90, so XC represents 90.
Now, 90 can be written as 100 – 10. Therefore, XC represents 100 – 10.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.

Note:
You must remember notations of numbers like 1 to 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000. You may note that option (a) and (b) may confuse us. In the question, we can clearly see that X is present before C so it denotes “10 less than 100” if X were present after C then it would have denoted “10 more than 100” and in that case option (b) would have been the correct answer. So, you must remember the rules of representation properly.