What are Ordinal Numbers? Examples and Properties

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From first to last, delve into the world of ordinal numbers with our informative guide. Understand the unique way these numbers represent order and position in various contexts.

What are Ordinal Numbers?

Ordinal numbers are numbers that indicate the position or order of elements in a sequence. They represent the rank or placement of an item in relation to others. In English, ordinal numbers are often formed by adding a suffix to the cardinal number (the basic form of a number). The most common suffixes for forming ordinal numbers are “-th,” “-st,” “-nd,” and “-rd.”

Here are the first few ordinal numbers:

1. First
2. Second
3. Third
4. Fourth
5. Fifth
6. Sixth
7. Seventh
8. Eighth
9. Ninth
10. Tenth

The general pattern for forming ordinal numbers is as follows:

• For numbers ending in 1 (except for 11), use “-st” (e.g., 1st, 21st, 31st).
• For numbers ending in 2 (except for 12), use “-nd” (e.g., 2nd, 22nd, 32nd).
• For numbers ending in 3 (except for 13), use “-rd” (e.g., 3rd, 23rd, 33rd).
• For all other numbers, use “-th” (e.g., 4th, 15th, 27th).

Ordinal numbers are commonly used to denote the order of things, such as ranking in a competition, position in a list, or the sequence of events.

How to Write Ordinal Numbers?

Writing ordinal numbers correctly can be tricky, but it’s not impossible! Here’s a breakdown of the rules:

Suffixes:

• -st: Used for numbers ending in 1 (e.g., 1st, 21st, 101st)
• -nd: Used for numbers ending in 2 (e.g., 2nd, 22nd, 102nd)
• -rd: Used for numbers ending in 3 (e.g., 3rd, 23rd, 103rd)
• -th: Used for all other numbers (e.g., 4th, 5th, 6th, 10th, 20th, 100th)

Exceptions:

• 11th, 12th, and 13th: Follow the ‘-th’ rule despite ending in 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

Guidelines:

• Use words for ordinal numbers up to ninth (e.g., first, second, ninth).
• Use numerals for ordinal numbers from tenth and above (e.g., 10th, 11th, 12th).
• Spell out ordinal numbers in formal writing, especially for those below tenth.
• Numerals are generally preferred in technical writing and data tables.

Examples:

• 1st place, 2nd prize, 3rd runner-up
• The 4th chapter, the 5th floor, the 6th attempt
• 11th hour, 12th day, 13th month
• 20th anniversary, 100th birthday, 1000th customer

Additional tips:

• When in doubt, consult a style guide or dictionary.
• Consistency is key. Choose either words or numerals for all ordinal numbers in your writing.
• Pay attention to the context and choose the format that best fits the tone and style.

By following these rules and guidelines, you can ensure that you’re writing ordinal numbers correctly and effectively in your work.

Properties of Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers are a type of number used to denote the position or order of elements in a sequence. Unlike cardinal numbers that represent quantity, ordinal numbers represent the rank or position of an element in a series. Here are some properties of ordinal numbers:

1. Ordering: Ordinal numbers indicate the relative position of elements in a sequence. For example, in the sequence {1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th}, “1st” represents the first element, “2nd” represents the second element, and so on.

2. Naming Convention: Ordinal numbers are typically formed by adding a suffix to the cardinal number. Common suffixes include “-st” (first), “-nd” (second), “-rd” (third), and “-th” (fourth, fifth, etc.). For instance, 5th is the ordinal form of 5.

3. Transitivity: Ordinal relationships are transitive. If A is before B and B is before C, then A is before C in the sequence. For example, if John is the 2nd in a race and Mary is the 3rd, then John is before Mary in the race.

4. Cardinal Correspondence: Each ordinal number corresponds to a cardinal number. For example, the ordinal number “third” corresponds to the cardinal number 3.

5. Limited Arithmetic: Ordinal numbers are not generally used in arithmetic operations like addition and multiplication. While you can say “the third day plus the fourth day is the seventh day,” this is a linguistic rather than a mathematical operation.

6. Application in Ranking: Ordinal numbers are commonly used in rankings, such as sports rankings (1st place, 2nd place, etc.) or academic rankings (1st in the class, 2nd in the class, etc.).

7. Representation: Ordinal numbers are often represented using numerals with appropriate suffixes. For example, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.

Understanding ordinal numbers is important in various contexts, including mathematics, linguistics, and everyday communication, especially when expressing order or ranking.

Difference Between Cardinal, Nominal and Ordinal Numbers

Cardinal, nominal, and ordinal numbers are different types of numbers used in various contexts. Here’s a tabular representation of the differences between them:

In summary, cardinal numbers represent quantity or size, nominal numbers represent categories without any inherent order, and ordinal numbers represent categories with a meaningful order or sequence.

List of Ordinal Numbers from 1 to 50

Certainly! Here’s the list of ordinal numbers from 1st to 100th presented in a table format:

Solved Examples On Ordinal Numbers

Let’s go through a few examples involving ordinal numbers:

1. Ranking in a Race: If John finished the race in 3rd place, we can say he finished in the third position. So, the ordinal number is “third.”

2. Birth Order: If Sarah is the second child in her family, she is the second in birth order. Therefore, her ordinal number is “second.”

3. Months of the Year: If your birthday is in May, your birth month is the fifth month of the year. Thus, your birth month is “fifth.”

4. Classroom Seating: If Mary sits in the 7th row in her classroom, we can say she is in the seventh row. So, her seat is in the “seventh” position.

5. Book Page Numbers: If a specific event is described on page 50 of a book, you would find it on the fiftieth page. Thus, the ordinal number is “fiftieth.”

6. Anniversary Celebration: If a couple is celebrating their 10th anniversary, it means they have been married for ten years. Therefore, it’s their “tenth” anniversary.

7. Medal Placement: In a sports competition, if an athlete wins a silver medal, they are in the second position. So, they achieve the “second” place.

8. Steps on a Staircase: If there are 15 steps on a staircase, and you are on the 8th step, you are on the eighth step. Therefore, your position is the “eighth” step.

9. Degrees of Temperature: If the temperature is the coldest it has been all year at -5 degrees Celsius, we could say it’s the fifth coldest day. So, the ordinal number is “fifth.”

10. Building Floor: If someone works on the 12th floor of an office building, their office is on the twelfth floor. Hence, their floor is the “twelfth” floor.

These examples should help illustrate how ordinal numbers are used in various contexts to denote a position or order.

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