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Understand How to Read and Write Roman Numerals

In this worksheet, students will read and convert numerals to Roman numerals up to 100.

'Understand How to Read and Write Roman Numerals' worksheet

Key stage:  KS 2

Year:  Year 4 Maths worksheets

Curriculum topic:   Number: Number and Place Value

Curriculum subtopic:   Read Roman Numerals (I to C/1 to 100)

Difficulty level:  

Worksheet Overview

Today we use the decimal number system where every number is created using the digits from 0 to 9

However, in Roman times Roman numerals were used.

 

a Roman soldier

 

The Romans used these seven different symbols to represent numbers:

 

I  = 1

V = 5

X = 10

L = 50

C = 100

D = 500

M = 1000

 

We need to know how to read and write the numbers up to 100:

 

1 I  
2 II  
3 III  
4 IV I before V is 1 less than 5
5 V  
6 VI I after V is 1 more than 5
7 VII II after V is 2 more than 5
8 VIII III after V is 3 more than 5
9 IX I before X is 1 less than 10
10 X  
11 XI I after X is 1 more than 10
12 XII II after X is 2 more than 10

 

 

We can build bigger numbers by the other symbols - L C D M

 

20 XX  = X + X = 20
21 XXI  = XX + I = 20 + 1
     
30 XXX  = X + X + X = 30
37 XXXVII  = XXX + VII = 30 + 7
     
40 XL  = X before L is 10 less than 50 or 50 - 10 = 40
48 XLVIII  = XL + VIII = 40 + 8 = 48
49 XLIX  = XL + IX = 40 + 9 = 49
     
50 L  
54 LIV  = L + IV = 50 + 4 = 54
     
60 LX  = X after L is 10 more than 50 or 50 + 10 = 60
67 LXVII  = LX + VII = 60 + 7 = 67
     
70 LXX  = L + XX = 50 + 20 = 70
     
80 LXXX  = L + XXX = 50 + 30 = 80
84 LXXIV  = L + XXXIV = 50 + 34 = 84
     
90 XC  = X before C is 10 less than 100 or 100 - 10 = 90
96 XCVI = XC + VI = 90 + 6 = 96

 

Today, Roman numerals are still used occasionally, for example on clock faces.

Have a look around to see if you can spot more ( watch the credits at the very end of a film! )

 

Roman numerals

 

The Romans didn't have a symbol for 0.

 

 

Let's have a go at writing some Roman numerals.

 

Use the table above to help.

 

Write 27 in Roman numerals:

XXVII  ( X = 10  V = 5  I = 1 )

X + X + V + I + I 

 

Challenge yourself:

 

Write 134 in Roman numerals.

 

CXXXIV ( C = 100   X = 10  IV  = 4)

C + X + X + X + IV

 

Now have a go at some yourself - good luck!

 

boy thinking

 

Remember, you can come back to this page if you need a reminder.

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