We use our fingers to count because they’re right there! When you were a kid, you probably used your fingers to count things like toys or cookies. That’s easy, and fun! But why do we still use this method today? Well, it turns out that most people in the world use base-10, which means our number system is built around 10 digits (like 0 through 9). And guess what? We have 10 fingers. That’s not a coincidence, we counted on our hands long before we had numbers written down.
Examples
- You count your candy with your fingers because they’re right there.
- Your teacher uses your hands to help you learn numbers at school.
- You use your thumb and index finger like a calculator when counting coins.
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See also
- Why Do We Count to Ten?
- Why Do Numbers Have Special Names?
- Why Do We Use ‘Fingers’ for Counting and What Are the Alternatives?
- Why Do Numbers Look So Different Around the World?
- How Arabic Numerals Aren't Actually Arabic?