Year 6 Maths • Number Quest
Crack the Roman Code!
The Romans used letters to record numbers. Learn their seven symbols, spot the patterns and decode Roman numerals like a maths historian.
XII
1. Meet the symbols
Roman numerals are made from seven capital letters. Unlike our digits, a Roman symbol always has the same value wherever it appears.
I1
V5
X10
L50
C100
D500
M1,000
2. Learn the two main rules
➕ Add when a smaller or equal symbol follows
Read from left to right. When the values stay the same or get smaller, add them.
VIII = 5 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 8
LX = 50 + 10 = 60
➖ Subtract when a smaller symbol comes first
A smaller symbol before a larger one forms a subtraction pair.
IV = 5 − 1 = 4
XC = 100 − 10 = 90
Remember these six subtraction pairs:
IV = 4,
IX = 9,
XL = 40,
XC = 90,
CD = 400 and
CM = 900.
CXLVI
Decode it in chunks:
C + XL + V + I = 100 + 40 + 5 + 1 = 146.
C + XL + V + I = 100 + 40 + 5 + 1 = 146.
3. Roman Numeral Challenge
Write each Roman numeral in Arabic digits. For example, write 7, not VII. Each correct answer earns a star!
Total Questions: 0
Incorrect Answers: 0