What is The Number 48?

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Grade Level:

Pre-School – Class 2

All domains without exception

Definition

What is it?

The number 48 is a whole number that comes after 47 and before 49. It is an even number, meaning it can be divided into two equal parts without any remainder. We use 48 for counting, measuring, and calculating many things in our daily lives.

Simple Example

Quick Example

Imagine your school has 48 students in Class 6. This means if you count every single student from the first bench to the last, you will reach the number 48. Or, if your favourite cricket team scored 48 runs in a match, that's how many points they earned!

Worked Example

Step-by-Step

Let's find out how many groups of 6 we can make from 48 items.
---Step 1: Start with the total number of items, which is 48.
---Step 2: We want to make groups of 6. So, we need to divide 48 by 6.
---Step 3: Recall your multiplication tables. What number multiplied by 6 gives 48?
---Step 4: We know that 6 x 8 = 48.
---Step 5: So, 48 divided by 6 equals 8.
---Answer: You can make 8 groups of 6 from 48 items.

Why It Matters

Understanding numbers like 48 is crucial for everyday maths and problem-solving. It helps in subjects like Science for measuring, and in Social Studies for understanding populations or dates. Professionals like shopkeepers, engineers, and data analysts use numbers constantly to manage inventory, design structures, or interpret information.

Common Mistakes

MISTAKE: Confusing 48 with 84 because both have 4 and 8 | CORRECTION: Remember that the position of a digit matters. In 48, '4' is in the tens place (meaning 40) and '8' is in the ones place. In 84, '8' is in the tens place (meaning 80) and '4' is in the ones place.

MISTAKE: Thinking 48 is an odd number | CORRECTION: An even number always ends with 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8. Since 48 ends with 8, it is an even number. Odd numbers end with 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9.

MISTAKE: Not knowing the factors of 48 | CORRECTION: Factors are numbers that divide another number exactly. To find factors, try dividing 48 by small numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48).

Practice Questions

Try It Yourself

QUESTION: If you have 48 ladoos and want to share them equally among 4 friends, how many ladoos will each friend get? | ANSWER: 12 ladoos

QUESTION: A bus can carry 16 passengers. How many buses are needed to transport 48 passengers? | ANSWER: 3 buses

QUESTION: Your uncle is 48 years old. Your aunt is 5 years younger than him. How old is your aunt? Then, what is the sum of their ages? | ANSWER: Aunt is 43 years old. Sum of their ages is 91.

MCQ

Quick Quiz

Which of the following statements about the number 48 is TRUE?

It is an odd number.

It is greater than 50.

It is a multiple of 6.

It has only two factors.

The Correct Answer Is:

48 is an even number, not odd. It is smaller than 50. 48 is a multiple of 6 because 6 x 8 = 48. It has many factors (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48), not just two.

Real World Connection

In the Real World

In India, you might see the number 48 used in various ways. For instance, a mobile data plan might offer 48 GB of data per month. Or, a train journey might take 48 hours to reach a distant city like Mumbai from Kolkata. Even in local markets, a shopkeeper might sell 48 packets of biscuits in a day, using this number for inventory.

Key Vocabulary

Key Terms

WHOLE NUMBER: A number without fractions or decimals, like 1, 2, 3 | EVEN NUMBER: A number that can be divided by 2 without a remainder | MULTIPLE: The result of multiplying a number by an integer | FACTOR: A number that divides another number exactly | DIGIT: A single symbol used to make numbers (0-9)

What's Next

What to Learn Next

Now that you understand what 48 is, you can explore other numbers and their properties, like prime numbers or composite numbers. This will help you build a stronger foundation in number theory and make bigger calculations easier.