0

Zero is a very special number. We write it as 0. It means there is nothing, or an empty amount.

When you add zero to any number, the number stays the same. For example, if you add zero to 5, you still have 5. But if you multiply any number by zero, the answer is always zero.

Zero is very important in math. It helps us write numbers in a system called decimal notation. In this system, each place in a number stands for a different power of ten. Zero tells us that a certain power of ten has no value. For instance, in the number 205, the zero means there are no tens.

People have used zero for a long time. It started in India. Later, mathematicians from Islamic countries shared it with the rest of the world. A famous mathematician named Fibonacci helped teach these numbers to people in Europe.

Different cultures also used zero on their own. The Maya people used a special symbol for zero in their calendar system.

Zero is a number on its own. Adding zero to any number does not change that number — for example, 5 plus zero is still 5. But multiplying any number by zero always gives zero. Zero is special because it is neither positive nor negative, and it is the smallest whole number.