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How to Count Higher than 10 on Your Fingers

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Comp_Geek_573
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22 Feb 2013, 12:40 am

I take it that we have the base-10 number system that we have because of the ten fingers on our hands. Way back before we even had symbols to represent quantities, a "natural" way of counting was to hold up a finger for each one of something there was.

But here's a way to count higher than 10 with your fingers:

Think of your two hands like a base-5 abacus, with your left hand as the 5's place and your right as the 1's. Count up to 5 with your right hand, reset it to zero and count up one on your left hand (that one finger represents 5), then count to 5 again on the right, etc. You can count up to 30 (25+5) this way!

Theoretically it's possible to count as high as 1,023 on your fingers by making each one a binary digit, but it's hard to hold certain combinations of fingers!


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Radiofixr
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22 Feb 2013, 1:01 am

there was something I saw a long time ago that was like that what you describe- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisanbop


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22 Feb 2013, 9:36 pm

You can get even higher doing binary on your toes and fingers together

just remembered that most people can't move their toes like that :oops:



Rakshasa72
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24 Feb 2013, 6:25 am

I think the Mayans used a number system like this.



Jono
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24 Feb 2013, 9:28 am

Rakshasa72 wrote:
I think the Mayans used a number system like this.


The Mayans used a base-20 number system, indicating that they probably used their toes as well as fingers to count.



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24 Feb 2013, 11:18 pm

1. Hold both hands out infront of you
2. Open palms
3. Turn to face you

With fingers stretched out straight

4. look at right hand
5. Count DOWN from the baby finger on right hand - "10" close that finger
6. Count 9 on finger next to baby finger
7. continue until you're down to saying "6"
8. Look at your left hand
9. How many fingers are on your left hand?
10. Add that number to number you counted on right hand.




11. Ponder for hours how I got to 11. :P





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Vectorspace
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24 Feb 2013, 11:24 pm

Comp_Geek_573 wrote:
Theoretically it's possible to count as high as 1,023 on your fingers by making each one a binary digit, but it's hard to hold certain combinations of fingers!

I have a friend who can do this. Applaudable.



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24 Feb 2013, 11:35 pm

Although more efficient, that would require a lot more thought than simply using 10 fingers. Commendable though, I should use the binary thing someday :lol:

I heard the base 12 counting system comes from touching any of the three phalanges of the four non-thumb fingers with the thumb


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20 Mar 2013, 9:47 pm

Comp_Geek_573 wrote:
I take it that we have the base-10 number system that we have because of the ten fingers on our hands. Way back before we even had symbols to represent quantities, a "natural" way of counting was to hold up a finger for each one of something there was.

But here's a way to count higher than 10 with your fingers:

Think of your two hands like a base-5 abacus, with your left hand as the 5's place and your right as the 1's. Count up to 5 with your right hand, reset it to zero and count up one on your left hand (that one finger represents 5), then count to 5 again on the right, etc. You can count up to 30 (25+5) this way!

Theoretically it's possible to count as high as 1,023 on your fingers by making each one a binary digit, but it's hard to hold certain combinations of fingers!


Instead of counting your finger you can count your phalange with your thumb. You can count up to 12 with one hand. If you use your both hand you can count up to 60. This is why we have 60 second per minute, 60 minute per hour and 2 time 12 hour per day. Why we have 12 inches per foot. This is the way sumerian was counting.


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ruveyn
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20 Mar 2013, 9:54 pm

Comp_Geek_573 wrote:
I take it that we have the base-10 number system that we have because of the ten fingers on our hands. Way back before we even had symbols to represent quantities, a "natural" way of counting was to hold up a finger for each one of something there was.

But here's a way to count higher than 10 with your fingers:

Think of your two hands like a base-5 abacus, with your left hand as the 5's place and your right as the 1's. Count up to 5 with your right hand, reset it to zero and count up one on your left hand (that one finger represents 5), then count to 5 again on the right, etc. You can count up to 30 (25+5) this way!

Theoretically it's possible to count as high as 1,023 on your fingers by making each one a binary digit, but it's hard to hold certain combinations of fingers!


Using the thumb as a pointer you can count to 12 on each hand by using the space between the tips and the joints. Then elaborating on your trick one can count up to 12*12 + 12 = 156.

ruveyn



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21 Mar 2013, 12:39 pm

ruveyn wrote:
Comp_Geek_573 wrote:
I take it that we have the base-10 number system that we have because of the ten fingers on our hands. Way back before we even had symbols to represent quantities, a "natural" way of counting was to hold up a finger for each one of something there was.

But here's a way to count higher than 10 with your fingers:

Think of your two hands like a base-5 abacus, with your left hand as the 5's place and your right as the 1's. Count up to 5 with your right hand, reset it to zero and count up one on your left hand (that one finger represents 5), then count to 5 again on the right, etc. You can count up to 30 (25+5) this way!

Theoretically it's possible to count as high as 1,023 on your fingers by making each one a binary digit, but it's hard to hold certain combinations of fingers!


Using the thumb as a pointer you can count to 12 on each hand by using the space between the tips and the joints. Then elaborating on your trick one can count up to 12*12 + 12 = 156.

ruveyn


The sumeria counted on finger on one hand and on phalange on the other, this is why they gived us the 1/60 division of time, etc. But I don't know why they not used phalange counting on both hand?! :?: Un fortunatly (most) human don't have 6 fingers... we will be hable to count in hexadecimal :lol:


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OddDuckNash99
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29 Mar 2013, 1:27 pm

Or you could simply start over after reaching 10, to make the finger that was 1 equal 11 and so on. Easy solution! :lol:


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29 Mar 2013, 6:29 pm

Comp_Geek_573 wrote:
Theoretically it's possible to count as high as 1,023 on your fingers by making each one a binary digit, but it's hard to hold certain combinations of fingers!


I've been able to this for some time--the only issue is that when you try to count 4, 128, and a few other numbers, it looks like you're giving someone the finger, so I've had to be quite careful.


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