parabola A plane curve generated by a point moving so that its distance from a fixed point is equal to its distance from a fixed line; the intersection of a right circular cone with a plane parallel to an element of the cone.
parallel lines Lines with no common points and always the same distance apart.
parallelogram A four-sided polygon with opposite sides equal and parallel and containing no right angles.
path A line connecting nodes (points)in a network.
pentagon A polygon with five sides and five angles.
pentomino A plane shape made of five congruent squares connected to each other by at least one common side.
percentage A quantity expressed in hundreths (%).
perfect number A number which is the sum of its factors excluding itself (e.g., 6 = 1 + 2 + 3).
perimeter The length of the distance around the boundary of a shape.
perpendicular line A line at right angles to another line or plane.
pi Approximately 3.14. The ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.
pie graph A circular graph in which sectors of a circle are used to show information.
place value Indicates the position of a numeral (e.g., the place value of the 3 in the number 357 is hundreds).
polygon A two-dimensional shape with three or more straight lines.
polyhedron (plural - polyhedra) A three-dimensional shape with plane faces.
prime factor A prime number that will divide exactly into another number (e.g., 2 and 3 are prime factors of 6).
prime number A number with only two factors, 1 and itself.
prism A three-dimensional shape with at least one pair of opposite faces which are congruent and parallel.
product The result when two or more numbers are multiplied (e.g., the product of 2, 3 and 4 is 2 x 3 x 4 = 24).
proper fraction (vulgar or common) A fraction in which the numerator is less than the denominator.
property An attribute of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape.
proportion A statement of equality between two ratios. more info
protractor A semi-circular or circular instrument for measuring angles.
pythagorean theorem In any right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the sides. more info
