‘Write the Roman numeral as a Hindu-Arabic numeral: LVI 66 54 56 46’
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: 56
Explanation:
The Roman numeral LVI represents the number 56 in the Hindu-Arabic numeral system.
To understand this, it’s important to know the values of individual Roman numerals:
- L = 50
- V = 5
- I = 1
Roman numerals are generally written from largest to smallest from left to right, and when this order is followed, their values are simply added together. In the case of LVI, the values are in descending order:
- L (50)
- V (5)
- I (1)
When added together:
50 + 5 + 1 = 56
This shows that LVI equals 56 in Hindu-Arabic numerals.
It is also important to understand how Roman numerals are constructed. If a smaller numeral appears before a larger one, the smaller is subtracted from the larger. For example, IV represents 4 because I (1) comes before V (5), so it is 5 – 1 = 4. However, if a smaller numeral comes after a larger one, they are added. That is the case in LVI.
Roman numerals were used in ancient Rome and are still used today in certain contexts such as numbering book chapters, movie sequels, or clock faces. The Hindu-Arabic numeral system, which uses digits from 0 to 9, is the most common numeric system in the world today. It is valued for its efficiency and ability to handle large numbers through the use of place value and zero.
In summary, the Roman numeral LVI corresponds to the Hindu-Arabic number 56. This is determined by adding the values of each symbol in the correct order.