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Last updated on February 25th, 2025
Roman numerals are a system of expressing numbers using specific symbols. The symbols I, V, X, L, C, D, and M are used in this system. Roman numerals are often found in royal titles, book names, sequences, and more. Here, we will be discussing Roman numerals, their rules, and examples.
Have you ever noticed the Roman numerals used in royal titles, such as Henry I, Henry II, and so on, and wondered what these symbols (I and II) represent? They are part of the Roman numeral system.
In ancient times, people counted with fingers, sticks, bones, etc. As life grew more complex, a standardized form of counting became necessary, leading to the use of Roman numerals. The symbols used are I (1), V (5), X (10), L (50), C (100), D (500), and M (1000).
The number 1978 is represented as MCMLXXVIII in Roman numerals. Here, M is 1000, CM is 900, L is 50, XX is 20, V is 5, and III is 3. Let’s learn more about Roman numerals and how to write them.
There are certain basic rules to write a number in Roman numerals. In this section, let’s discuss some basic rules that need to be remembered when writing numbers in Roman numerals.
The addition method is used when a smaller numeral is placed after a larger one. For example, VIII → V + III → 5 + 3 = 8.
To represent numbers, certain Roman numerals can be repeated up to three times. For example, III → 3.
If a smaller numeral precedes a larger numeral, we subtract the smaller from the larger. For example, IX → X - I → 10 - 1 = 9.
Symbols cannot be repeated more than three times, and some symbols like V, L, and D cannot be repeated. For example, we write 10 as X, not VV, and 8 as VIII, not IIIIIIII.
Let’s now learn how to write 1978 in Roman numerals. Follow these methods to write the number in Roman numerals:
In the expansion method, the number is broken down based on place value. In this section, we will learn how to write 1978 in Roman numerals using this method. To write 1978 in Roman numerals, follow these steps:
Step 1: Break the number based on place value—thousands, hundreds, tens, and ones. For 1978, we write it as 1000 + 900 + 70 + 8.
Step 2: Convert each part into Roman numerals:
Step 3: Combine them together. Therefore, 1978 in Roman numerals is M (1000) + CM (900) + LXX (70) + VIII (8) = MCMLXXVIII.
When writing large numbers in Roman numerals, we group the components. To write 1978 in Roman numerals, we group it as 1000 + 900 + 70 + 8.
So, 1978 is written as MCMLXXVIII in Roman numerals.
A historian finds an ancient artifact dated to the year MCMLXXVIII. What year is this in modern numerals?
In a literary quiz, a participant needs to convert the year 1978, which was a significant year for a famous author, into Roman numerals. What is the Roman numeral for 1978?
A museum has two artifacts: one from the year MDCCCLXXXVIII and another from MCMLXXVIII. By how many years do they differ?
If a movie was released in MCMLXXVIII and celebrated its 25th anniversary, in what year was the anniversary celebrated?
A collector buys a rare coin from the year MCMLXXVIII. If the current year is 2023, how old is the coin?
Hiralee Lalitkumar Makwana has almost two years of teaching experience. She is a number ninja as she loves numbers. Her interest in numbers can be seen in the way she cracks math puzzles and hidden patterns.
: She loves to read number jokes and games.