Cardinal Number for Dummies

Alright, so, a cardinal number is a number that is used for counting or ordering things. For example, when you count the number of apples in a basket, you use cardinal numbers like 1, 2, 3, and so on. These numbers show how many of something there is, and they're also used when you put things in order. Like, if you were lining up your toys from first to fifth, you'd use cardinal numbers to do that.

But, if we want to get a little technical here, there are two main types of numbers: cardinal and ordinal numbers. Cardinal numbers, like I said, are the ones we use for counting or showing how many of something there is. Meanwhile, ordinal numbers are the ones we use to show the order of things. You'll use them when you say things like "first," "second," "third," and so on.

So, think of cardinal numbers as the ones that tell you how many of something there is, while ordinal numbers tell you the order that something is in. It's kind of like when you line up for a race – the first, second, and third runners are using ordinal numbers to show their order, while the number of runners in line uses cardinal numbers to show how many there are.

So, to sum it all up, a cardinal number is just a fancy way of saying the numbers we use for counting and showing how many of something there is. It's the kind of number you'd use when you say how many cookies you want to eat or how many friends you have. It's just a way of keeping track of how much stuff there is. Cool, right?