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By how much does the smallest whole number differ from the smallest natural number?

Class 6Whole NumbersWhole Numbers
  • A1
  • B0
  • C2
  • DThere is no smallest natural number

Step-by-Step Solution

The smallest whole number is 0 and the smallest natural number is 1, so they differ by 1 - 0 = 1. Answering 0 comes from wrongly counting 0 as a natural number; natural numbers begin at 1.
Answer: A) 1

Key idea: Closure: when an operation 'stays inside' the whole numbers

Adding two whole numbers always gives a whole number — addition is **closed** on whole numbers. Multiplying two whole numbers always gives a whole number — multiplication is **closed** too. But subtraction is **not** closed: 5 − 7 = −2, which is not a whole number. Division is also not closed: 7 ÷ 2 = 3.5, not a whole number. Closure is the property that lets us trust an operation never to take us 'outside' the world of whole numbers.

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