ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

1-2-5 series

Okay kiddo, do you know what numbers are? They are really important and we use them every day! Now, let's talk about a special set of numbers called the 1-2-5 series.

This series starts with the number 1, then it goes to 2, then to 5, and it keeps going like that. These numbers are special because they are easy to work with and can help us do some math without having to use a calculator.

For example, let's say you want to count some money you have. You have 3 coins: a penny, a nickel, and a dime. The penny is worth 1 cent, the nickel is worth 5 cents, and the dime is worth 10 cents. Since we know that the 1-2-5 series has the number 5 in it, we can add up these coins quickly by counting the nickel first. We know that the nickel is 5 cents, so we can add the penny to it, which is 1 cent, to get 6 cents. Then we can add the dime, which is 10 cents, to get 16 cents. See how easy that was?

The 1-2-5 series can also be used to help us make change. Let's say someone gives you a $5 bill and you need to give them $1.25 back in change. Since the 1-2-5 series has the numbers 1 and 5 in it, we can use those coins to make the change. We can give them a dollar bill, which is worth 100 cents, and then give them a quarter, which is 25 cents. That makes $1.25, which is the right amount of change.

So, in short, the 1-2-5 series is a set of numbers that are easy to work with and can help us do math quickly in our everyday lives.
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