even numbers
Grade 4 students learn to identify even numbers by examining only the last digit in Saxon Math Intermediate 4. A number is even if its ones digit is 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 — regardless of how many digits the number has. The number 5,436 is even because its last digit is 6. Even numbers can always be split into two equal groups with none left over. Students must not be distracted by even digits in the middle of a number — only the ones digit determines whether the whole number is even or odd. This Chapter 1 foundational skill supports divisibility and multiplication understanding.
Key Concepts
Property The numbers we say when we start with 2 and then count up by twos are even numbers ($2, 4, 6, 8, \ldots$). An even number of objects can be separated into two equal groups.
Example $456$ is even because its last digit is $6$. $18$ is even because it can be split into two equal groups of $9$. The number $328$ ends in an even digit, $8$, so it is an even number.
Explanation Think of even numbers as perfect for sharing! If you have an even number of cookies, you can split them into two equal piles with none left over. The easiest trick is to check the last digit: if it’s a 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8, then the whole number is even, no matter how big it is.
Common Questions
What is an even number?
An even number is any whole number that can be divided into two equal groups with none left over. Even numbers always end in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
How do you quickly tell if a number is even?
Look only at the last digit (the ones place). If that digit is 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8, the entire number is even no matter how large it is. For example, 5,436 is even because its last digit is 6.
Can a number be even if it has an odd digit in the middle?
Yes. Only the ones digit determines even or odd. The number 182 is even because its last digit is 2, even though the middle digit 8 is even and the first digit 1 is odd.
Can a large number like 5,436 be even?
Yes. 5,436 ends in 6, which is an even digit. So 5,436 is even and can be divided by 2 exactly, with no remainder.
What Saxon Math chapter covers even numbers?
Even numbers are introduced in Saxon Math Intermediate 4, Chapter 1 (Lessons 1-10), as a foundational number property related to grouping and divisibility.