Why Do People Use ‘Finger Counting’ for Math Problems?

Examples

1. A child adds 2 + 3 by holding up two fingers on one hand and three on the other, then counts all five together.
2. Someone subtracts 5 - 2 by putting up five fingers and tucking two back down.
3. A student learns to count up from 7 using their fingers to add 3.

More examples

See also

• How Does a Clock Work?
• What Makes Some People Better at Math Than Others?
• Why Is the Shape of a Pizza So Perfect?
• Who is Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic?
• What Makes a Coin Flip Fair?

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