Small friends on an abacus
Small friends are buddy numbers that add up to 5: (1 and 4) or (2 and 3). When you do not have enough bottom yellow beads, pull down the red 5 bead and take away the buddy number!
| Move | Formula | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| +1 | +1 = +5 −4 | Not enough yellow beads: pull down the 5 bead, then take away the buddy number |
| +2 | +2 = +5 −3 | Not enough yellow beads: pull down the 5 bead, then take away the buddy number |
| +3 | +3 = +5 −2 | Not enough yellow beads: pull down the 5 bead, then take away the buddy number |
| +4 | +4 = +5 −1 | Not enough yellow beads: pull down the 5 bead, then take away the buddy number |
| −1 | −1 = −5 +4 | Not enough beads to take away: push up the 5 bead, then add the buddy number |
| −2 | −2 = −5 +3 | Not enough beads to take away: push up the 5 bead, then add the buddy number |
| −3 | −3 = −5 +2 | Not enough beads to take away: push up the 5 bead, then add the buddy number |
| −4 | −4 = −5 +1 | Not enough beads to take away: push up the 5 bead, then add the buddy number |
Questions
How do small friends (+5) work?
Small friends are buddy numbers that add up to 5: (1 and 4) or (2 and 3). When you don't have enough bottom yellow beads to add, pull down the red 5 bead and take away the buddy number! For example: +4 = +5 − 1.