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Math - Questions and Answers from our Archives  Cardinal and
Ordinal Numbers  Date: 01/08/97 at 16:12:21 From: Rebecca
Aitchison Subject: Cardinal/Ordinal Numbers  How can the number
three (3) be both a cardinal and ordinal number at  the same
time?  Date: 01/08/97 at 18:19:46 From: Doctor Tom Subject: Re:
Cardinal/Ordinal Numbers  Hi Rebecca,  I remember when I was
your age being quite confused by the difference  between
cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers.  Now I realize that it
was probably because my teachers were confused as well!  When I
was your age, the best explanation I got was something muddled
like, "three" is a cardinal; "third" is an ordinal.  The reason
for all the confusion is that the difference is a fairly  deep
subject in mathematics, but I'll try to explain it.  In fact,
from a mathematician's point of view, all the non-negative
integers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ... are both cardinal and ordinal
numbers.   There is only a difference w