Portfolio #1

Explain how to add, subtract and multiply in other number bases. You should use examples
to illustrate your explanations.
Adding, subtracting and multiplying are the same with any base. We need to keep in mind that
we are working with place values (Reminder: in bases, we refer to the ones place as units, the
tens place as longs, and the hundredths place as flats). For example, in addition, I will use base
15 as an example where we will add 3015 and 6115. We begin with three sets of 15 or 3 longs and
0 units and we are regrouping to six sets of 15 or 6 longs and 1 unit, which would equal to 91
nine longs and one unit. To subtract, as we know it, is the opposite of addition. An example with
base 8 would be, 148 -78; which would mean we have one set of eight units, one unit and remove
only seven units, which would leave us with 58 as an answer. When multiplying, it is easier when
its done with tiles representing the place values, but it is still the same process. For this example,
we will work with base 8 as well 38 x 118, meaning that we have three units times one long or one
set of 8 and one unit, which would then result in three longs and three units.
Example 1.
3015+6115= 9115

Example 2.
148-78 = 58

Portfolio #2
Explain how to change a number form base-5 to base-10 and justify why it works. Explain
how to change a number form base-10 to base-5 and justify why it works.
To change from base 5 to base 10, we simply count up every unit from base 5. For example, if
we have 4325, it would equal to 2 units + 15 units (3sets of 5) + 100 units (4 sets of 25, one flat of
5x5) = 11710. This works because if we group the units counting by ten rather than five, more
units are allowed in the ones, and tens place values. On the other hand, when converting from
base 10 to base 5, for example, 68910; all the numbers above the number five (example: six,
seven, eight, and nine) do not exist in base 5, therefore we will use the place values using five [54
53 52 51 50 ] = [625,125,25,5,1]. First we will see how many of the place values fit in the base 10
number and subtract:

_689
625
=064 ; (25x2) = 50, 14 (2x5) = 10 ; 4
Answer= 10224

Portfolio #3
Explain the standard algorithms for adding and subtracting numbers in base-10 without
using terms like borrow, carry etc. Your explanation should utilize the concept of place
value. You may use examples to clarify your answers.

When adding standard algorithms, since we are working with base ten, we can use the place
values as we are used to ones, tens, and hundreds. We solve by regrouping. Every time we have
more than ten units in each place value, we add to the next place value. For example, if we have
136+ 435, we would have more than ten units in the ones place. This would then turn out to
adding one to the tens places, leaving us with one unit in the ones place since 5+6 is equal to 11.
In tiles, 11 would mean: one long and one unit. Therefore, we would need to add that long to the
30+30, which would then regroup into seven sets of ten units or seven longs/ 70. Finally, when
adding in the hundreds place, since we didnt have more than nine sets of ten, there is no need to
regroup into the hundreds. We just need to add the 100+400, which equal to 500. Then, we need
to place every answer accordingly in their place value which results in 571 as our answer.

136
+435
571

When subtracting standard algorithms we regroup by breaking up units in bigger place values in
order to be able to take away a digit from a certain number. In some cases, there is no need to
regroup. For example, in the problem 352- 221=131 we know that because the difference
between one and two in the ones place value is equal to 1, then in the tenths place the difference
between 20 and 50 is 30. And finally, in the hundreds place, the difference between 300 and 200
is 100. However there are cases were at least in the place values such a ones and tens the digit
being subtracted is greater and there is a need to regroup for example in 246-158; in this case 8
cannot be subtracted from 6 unless we regroup by breaking up a long or ten which would
become 16- 8=8. Now, we would only have 3 tens left to subtract from. However, the number
five is once again greater. Therefore, we need another set of ten. We will then break apart the two
in the hundreds and regroup, turning three tens to 13 tens minus 5 tens which would equal 8 tens.
Since we eliminated one of the two hundreds, the hundreds place could be eliminated.