The Earliest Numbers

Duration: 33

Year Published: 1955

Creator: WNET/13

Format: 16mm

Color: B&W

Description: Shows man's first effort to count with symbols, and demonstrates how Egyptian and Babylonian mathematic have contributed to our present number system. Stresses this contribution in terms of the essential elements of a modern numeration system: base, place, symbols, zero, decimal point. Through models, demonstrates and explains certain physical methods of writing and reckoning with numbers. Devices shown are the English tally stick, quipa, abacus, and counting board. From these, such words and ideas are identified as "sock, bank, carry", and "borrow". (University of Michigan Television) Kinescope.


1 user has this film:
Indiana University Library Moving Image Archive


Related films: