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Most people just think it means the letter P - as in "watch how you write your letters because p and q look similar when you write them or put them into a printing press." It can also mean "pints" and "quarts" as in a pub or tavern - the waitress has to be alert and remember who's drinking what so they don't overcharge the customers. Another theory says that it means "please" and "thank you" ("kew") or perhaps "excuse me" as mis-pronounced by children trying to remember their manners.

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Q: What does the P in mind your p's and q's mean?
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What does mind you p's and t's mean?

Actually, it's mind your PS and qs. It means, be careful and meticulous in what you say and how you behave. When I was young, I did a little typesetting. Moveable type is lovely stuff, but it's the mirror image of the letters it prints; so a b in type looks like a d. Rotate a d, and you have a p; rotate a b and you have a q. Typesetters had to mind their PS and qs all the time.


What is the plural possessive of p and q?

The plural form is Ps and Qs.The plural possessive form is Ps and Qs'.Example: Your Ps and Qs' training seems lacking.


What does to mind ones PS and qs mean?

P and Q stood for Prime Quality in England, but more than likely it was made to keep children from messing up the lower cases which are mirror images (p and q)


Why is the sum of two rational numbers always rational numbers?

Suppose p/q and r/s are rational numbers where p, q, r and s are integers and q, s are non-zero.Then p/q + r/s = ps/qs + qr/qs = (ps + qr)/qs. Since p, q, r, s are integers, then ps and qr are integers, and therefore (ps + qr) is an integer. q and s are non-zero integers and so qs is a non-zero integer. Consequently, (ps + qr)/qs is a ratio of two integers in which the denominator is non-zero. That is, the sum is rational.


Why is the sum or product of two rational numbers rational?

Suppose p/q and r/s are rational numbers where p, q, r and s are integers and q, s are non-zero.Then p/q + r/s = ps/qs + qr/qs = (ps + qr)/qs.Since p, q, r, s are integers, then ps and qr are integers, and therefore (ps + qr) is an integer.q and s are non-zero integers and so qs is a non-zero integer.Consequently, (ps + qr)/qs is a ratio of two integers in which the denominator is non-zero. That is, the sum is rational.Also p/q * r/s = pr/qs.Since p, q, r, s are integers, then pr and qs are integers.q and s are non-zero integers so qs is a non-zero integer.Consequently, pr/qs is a ratio of two integers in which the denominator is non-zero. That is, the sum is rational.


Why is the difference between two rational numbers always a rational number?

Suppose x and y are two rational numbers. Therefore x = p/q and y = r/s where p, q, r and s are integers and q and s are not zero.Then x - y = p/q - r/s = ps/qs - qr/qs = (ps - qr)/qsBy the closure of the set of integers under multiplication, ps, qr and qs are all integers,by the closure of the set of integers under subtraction, (ps - qr) is an integer,and by the multiplicative properties of 0, qs is non zero.Therefore (ps - qr)/qs satisfies the requirements of a rational number.


Why are rational numbers closed under addition?

Suppose x and y are rational numbers.That is, x = p/q and y = r/s where p, q, r and s are integers and q, s are non-zero.Then x + y = ps/qs + qr/qs = (ps + qr)/qsThe set of integers is closed under multiplication so ps, qr and qs are integers;then, since the set of integers is closed addition, ps + qr is an integer;and q, s are non-zero so qs is not zero.So x + y can be represented by a ratio of two integers, ps + qr and qs where the latter is non-zero.


Why is the difference of two rational numbers are rational numbers?

Suppose A and B are two rational numbers. So A = p/q where p and q are integers and q > 0 and B = r/s where r and s are integers and s > 0. Then A - B = p/q - r/s = ps/qs - qr/qs = (ps - qr)/qs Now, p,q,r,s are integers so ps and qr are integers and so x = ps-qr is an integer and y = qs is an integer which is > 0 Thus A-B can be written as a ratio of two integers, x/y where y>0. Therefore, A-B is rational.


How you can add two rational numbers?

If the two rational numbers are expressed as p/q and r/s, then their sum is (ps + rq)/(qs)


Is the dfference of two positive rational number always positive plz help explain.?

Yes.Suppose a and b are two positive rational numbers. Then a can be expressed in the form p/q where p and q are positive integers, and b can be expressed in the form r/s where r and s are positive integers.Then b - a = r/s - p/q = (qr - ps)/qs.Now, since p, q, r and s are integers, thenby the closure of the set of integers under multiplications, qr, ps and qs are integers;q and s are positive => qs is positive, andby the closure of the set of integers under addition (and subtraction), qr - ps is an integer.That is, b - a = (qr - ps)/qs is a ratio of two integers, where the denominator of the ratio is positive.


Why is the multiplication of rational numbers always result in a rational number?

It follows from the closure of integers under addition and multiplication.Any rational number can be expressed as a ratio of two integers, where the second is not zero. So two rational numbers may be expressed as p/q and r/s.A common multiple of their denominators is qs. So the numbers could also have been expressed as ps/qs and qr/qs.Both these have the same denominator so their sum is (ps + qr)/qs.Now, because the set of integers is closed under multiplication, ps, qr and qs are integers and because the set of integers is closed under addition, ps + qr is an integer.Thus the sum has been expressed as a ratio of two integers, ps + qr, and qs and so it is a rational number.


What does the P and the S mean in PS?

Post-script.