ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Six operations

Six operations refer to six basic mathematical processes that we use to solve problems and perform calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation, and square root.

Addition is used when we want to find the total of two or more numbers. For example, if we have two apples and someone gives us another two, we have a total of four apples.

Subtraction is used when we want to find the difference between two numbers. For example, if we have five apples and we eat two, we are left with three apples.

Multiplication is used when we want to find the total number of items in several equal groups. For example, if we have two packs of pencils with five pencils in each pack, we have a total of ten pencils.

Division is used when we want to divide a group of items into smaller groups of equal size. For example, if we have six cookies and we want to share them equally between three people, each person gets two cookies.

Exponentiation is used when we want to multiply a number by itself several times. For example, if we have 2 and we raise it to the power of 3, which is written as 2^3, we get 8 because 2 x 2 x 2 = 8.

Square root is used to find the number that, when multiplied by itself, gives us the original number. For example, the square root of 49 is 7 because 7 x 7 = 49.

By knowing and understanding these six operations, we can solve many mathematical problems and make calculations in our daily lives.