Symbols for zero

Have you ever counted with your fingers? Let's say you have 5 fingers on one hand, you can count up to 5 before you run out of fingers. But what if you want to count more than 5? People a long time ago had the same problem. They used to count with pebbles or sticks, but it was hard to keep track of large numbers that way.

So, they came up with something really clever. Instead of using something to count, they decided to have a symbol that meant "there is nothing here." They called this symbol "zero."

Zero is a really cool number because it helps us do math better. It's like a placeholder in a number, telling us there's an empty spot. Think of a number like 405. If you take away the zero, there's just 45 left. That's not the same as 405, is it?

The symbol for zero is a circle or a dot. People started using this symbol for zero around 500 B.C. in India. From there, it traveled to other parts of the world and helped make math easier for everyone!