Mathematics

Grade 7 • Unit 1: Sets

LESSON 1.1
Introduction to Sets
Table of Contents
Introduction 1

Test Your Prerequisite Skills 2

DepEd Competency 3

Objectives 3

Warm-Up! 3

Learn about It! 5

Let’s Practice 9

Check Your Understanding 13

Key Points 14

Bibliography 14
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Grade 7 • Unit 1: Sets

Lesson 1.1
Introduction to Sets

Fig. 1. Wooden shelves

Introduction
Inevitable to learning algebra and other mathematical concepts is studying the concept of
sets. In fact, we are always surrounded by sets and its applications in our daily life. At home,
the most relevant example of sets is in the kitchen. Our parents are meticulous about keeping
the kitchen well-arranged. Plates and bowls are kept separate from glasses, and utensil sets
are stored separately. The application of sets in business is very useful in planning and
operations where elements are grouped into marketing, accounting, human relations, and

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others. Set is a vital part in categorizing or grouping several items as well as comparing and
contrasting them.

In this lesson, you will learn the basic concept of sets including the subsets, universal sets,
null set, and cardinality of sets.

Test Your Prerequisite Skills

Before you get started, answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper. This will help
you assess your prior knowledge and practice some skills that you will need in studying the
lessons in this unit. Show your complete solution.

List all the numbers that is being asked.

1. even numbers from 1 to 10

2. first five prime numbers

3. first five composite numbers

4. first five multiples of 5

5. odd numbers from 11 to 20

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Grade 7 • Unit 1: Sets

DepEd Competency
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to illustrate well-defined sets,
subsets, universal sets, null set, cardinality of sets, union and intersection of sets
and the difference of two sets.

Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

● Define a set.

● Represent a set using roster and set-builder forms.

● List all the subsets of a set.

● Solve word problems involving sets.

Warm-Up!

My Choice of Meat

Materials
● pictures of beef, chicken, lamb, and fish

Instructions
1. Form two groups (Groups 1 and 2) then select a leader for each group.

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2. In each group, the leader will raise the picture of

a beef and ask the members how many of them
prefer eating it.
3. One member in each group shall count the
number of raised hands and record it in Table 1.
4. The leader will do the same thing on the pictures
of chicken, lamb, and fish.

Data Table
Table 1. Meat preference

Food Group 1 Group 2

beef

chicken

pork

fish

5. The member who is tasked to count the number of raised hands shall count the
number of people who have no preference among the shown meat.
6. The leader of each group will show the results to the class and ask both groups to
share their observations.

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Learn about It!

Set and Its Elements
The activity in Warm Up! shows one way of grouping data or items. We can group data
according to the number of people who prefer a particular food and translate results into a
meaningful output. This grouping of data is a part of what we call a set.

Definition 1.1: A set is a collection of well-defined and distinct

objects.

Sets are denoted by uppercase letters of the alphabet such as 𝐴, 𝐵, and 𝐶.

Let us study the following sets of numbers:

Set 𝐴: All integers from −5 to 5

Set 𝐵: All whole numbers from 0 to 5

Object 𝑎 is an element of set 𝐴 if and only if 𝑎 belongs to set 𝐴. In symbols, 𝑎 ∈ 𝐴.

Definition 1.2: The elements in a set are the objects in it.

Consequently, object 𝑏 is not an element of set 𝐴 if and only if 𝑏 does not belong to set 𝐴. In
symbols, 𝑏 ∉ 𝐴.

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In symbols, if set 𝐴 consists of all integers from – 5 to 5 and set 𝐵 consists of all whole numbers
from 0 to 5, then we can conclude the following statements:

–3 ∈ 𝐴
–3 ∉ 𝐵

Essential Question
How do you represent a set?

Representing a Set
Sets can be represented in two ways:
1. Roster form – All elements of a set are listed and enclosed in braces. Elements are
separated by comma.

Sets 𝐴 and 𝐵 in the example on the previous page can be written in roster form as
follows:
𝐴 = {– 5, – 4, – 3, – 2, – 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
𝐵 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

2. Set-builder form – A common property of all the elements of a set is written.

Sets A and B in the example on the previous page can be written in set-builder form
as follows:
𝐴 = {𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 is an integer from – 5 to 5}

The symbol above is read as “𝐴 is the set of all 𝑥 such that 𝑥 is an integer from
– 5 to 5.”
𝐵 = {𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 is a whole number from 0 to 5}

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The symbol above is read as “𝐵 is the set of all 𝑥 such that 𝑥 is a whole number from
0 to 5.”

Note that you may use any variable aside from 𝑥 when you write a set in the set-builder
form.

Subsets, the Null Set, and Universal Set

In the previous example, set 𝐵 is contained in set 𝐴 because all the elements of set 𝐵 are also
in set 𝐴. Therefore, set 𝐵 is a subset of set 𝐴. Set 𝐴, on the other hand, is not a subset of 𝐵
because not all elements in 𝐴 are in 𝐵.

𝐵 ⊆ 𝐴 (read as “B is a subset of A”)

𝐴 ⊈ 𝐵 (read as “A is not a subset of B”)

Definition 1.3: A set A is said to be a subset of another set B if all

the elements of A are contained in B.

Essential Question
How do you write the subsets of a given set?

Any given set is a subset of itself. In symbols, 𝐴 ⊆ 𝐴 or 𝐵 ⊆ 𝐵. However, if a subset does not
contain all the same elements of a set, a proper subset notation is used.

𝐵 ⊂ 𝐴 (read as “B is a proper subset of A”)

A set with 𝑛 elements has 2𝑛 subsets.

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If a set does not contain any elements, then it is called an empty set or a null set, denoted
by the symbol { } or ∅.

Definition 1.4: An empty set or null set is a set with no

elements.

Another set, called the universal set, is denoted by the capital letter 𝑈.

Definition 1.5: The universal set is the set containing all objects
or elements of all related sets.

Cardinality of a Set

Definition 1.6: The cardinality of a set is the number of

elements in it.

The cardinality of set 𝐴 is denoted by |𝐴|.

Given set 𝐴 = {– 5, – 4, – 3, – 2, – 1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5} and set 𝐵 = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, we can say that

|𝐴| = 11 and |𝐵| = 6.

What do you think is the cardinality of the null set?

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Let’s Practice
Example 1
Set 𝐴 consists of all vowels in the English alphabet and set 𝐵 consists of all consonants in the
English alphabet. Represent set 𝐴 in roster form and set 𝐵 in set-builder form.

Solution
In roster form, 𝐴 = {𝑎, 𝑒, 𝑖, 𝑜, 𝑢}.
In set-builder form, 𝐵 = {𝑥 ∶ 𝑥 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑙𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑏𝑒𝑡}.

Try It Yourself!
Set 𝐴 consists of even integers from 1 to 20 and set 𝐵 consists of odd integers from 1 to 20.
Represent set 𝐴 in roster form and set 𝐵 in set-builder form.

Example 2
Set 𝐴 consists of all vowels in the English alphabet and set 𝐵 consists of all consonants in the
English alphabet. Find |𝐴| and |𝐵|.

Solution
The cardinality of set 𝐴 or in symbols, |𝐴| = 𝟓, because set 𝐴 = {a, e, i, o, u} has 5 elements.

You may manually count the number of elements in set 𝐵 to find |𝐵|. Alternatively, you may
subtract |𝐴| from the universal set of letters of the English alphabet which we know to be
|𝑈| = 26.

|𝐵| = |𝑈|– |𝐴|

|𝐵| = 26 – 5 = 𝟐𝟏

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Try It Yourself!
Set 𝐴 consists of even integers from 1 to 100. Set 𝐵 consists of odd integers from 1 to 100.
Find |𝐴| and |𝐵|.

Example 3
Set 𝐷 consists of all prime numbers between 1 and 10. How many subsets does set 𝐷 have?

Solution
List all prime numbers between 1 and 10; that is, 2, 3, 5, 7. Thus, 𝐷 = {2, 3, 5, 7}.

A set with 𝑛 elements has 2𝑛 subsets. Set 𝐷 has 4 elements; therefore, set 𝐷 has 24 = 𝟏𝟔
subsets.

We have following subsets:

{ }, {2}, {3}, {5}, {7}, {2,3},

{2,5}, {2,7}, {3,5}, {3,7}, {5, 7}, {2, 3, 5},
{2, 3, 7}, {2, 5, 7}, {3, 5, 7}, {2, 3, 5, 7}

Try It Yourself!
Set 𝐴 consists of all composite numbers from 15 to 20. How many subsets does 𝐴 have? List
all the subsets of 𝐴.

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Real-world Problems
Example 4
Among five friends namely Anna, Becky, Cathy, Darla, and Emmy, all except Anna and Emmy
like English the most. Anna and Emmy like Math the most. Represent set 𝐴 as the set of the
girls who do not like English the most and set 𝐵 as the set of the girls who do not like Math
the most. How would you denote the universal set in this case?

Solution
If 𝐴 is the set of those girls who do not like English the most, then we have

𝐴 = {𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑎, 𝐸𝑚𝑚𝑦}.

If 𝐵 is the set of those girls who do not like Math the most, then we have

𝐵 = {𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑦, 𝐶𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦, 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑎}.

The universal set is the set of all elements in question of which sets 𝐴 and 𝐵 are subsets. Thus,
the universal set must be 𝑼 = {𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒂, 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒚, 𝑪𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒚, 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒂, 𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒚}.

Example 5
In the farm of Mr. San Diego, there are cows, ducks, goats, chickens, and pigs. Represent the
following sets in roster form:
• Set 𝐴 is the set of two-legged animals.
• Set 𝐵 is the set of four-legged animals.
• Set 𝐶 is the set of mammals.
• Set 𝐷 is the set of birds.
Which of these sets are the same and what are their cardinalities?

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Solution
Since set 𝐴 is the set of two-legged animals, we have 𝐴 = {𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠, 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠}.
Since set 𝐵 is the set of four-legged animals, we have 𝐵 = {𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠, 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑝𝑖𝑔𝑠}.
Since set 𝐶 is the set of mammals, we have 𝐶 = {𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠, 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑝𝑖𝑔𝑠}.
Since set 𝐷 is the set of birds, we have 𝐷 = {𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠, 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠}.

We can say that sets 𝑨 and 𝑫 are the same because 𝐴 = 𝐷 = {𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑠, 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠}. Additionally,
sets 𝑩 and 𝑪 are also the same since 𝐵 = 𝐶 = {𝑐𝑜𝑤𝑠, 𝑔𝑜𝑎𝑡𝑠, 𝑝𝑖𝑔𝑠}.

To find the cardinalities of the sets, count the number of elements they contain.

|𝐴| = |𝐷| = 𝟐
|𝐵| = |𝐶| = 𝟑

Try It Yourself!
When Patrick went for an interview in his on-the-job-
training in a 20-floor building, he was about to take an
elevator. He noticed that Elevator 𝐴 only caters to even-
numbered floors and the Elevator 𝐵 can only go to odd-
numbered ones. However, the two elevators both cater the
four underground floors. How would you represent the
floors serviced by the two elevators as sets? (Use U1, U2,
U3, U4 for the underground floors, and use 𝐴 and 𝐵 to
denote the sets.)

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Grade 7 • Unit 1: Sets

Check Your Understanding

Answer the following problems.
1. Represent all prime numbers between 20 and 50 in roster form.

2. How many subsets are there in set 𝐴 = {𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑, 𝑒}? List the subsets.

3. Two sets, 𝑀 and 𝑁, form a universal set. Set 𝑀 contains the letters in the word
examples and set 𝑁 contains the even numbers greater than four but less than ten.
a. What are the elements in the universal set?
b. From the universal set, write a set containing odd numbers.

4. Set 𝐴 consists of all real numbers and set 𝐵 consists of all integers.
a. Represent sets 𝐴 and 𝐵 using the set-builder form.
b. Is set 𝐵 a subset of set 𝐴? Why?

5. Nash is a local travel vlogger. He has visited the following tourist spots in the
Philippines: Banaue Rice Terraces, Boracay, Cagsawa Ruins, Dakak Beach Resort,
Camiguin, Camotes Island, Chocolate Hills, Maria Cristina Falls, Mount Apo, Pagsanjan
Falls, Panglao Island, Paoay Church, Siargao, Siquijor, and Taal Lake. He wants to
organize the videos of these spots in his laptop into folders named Luzon, Visayas, and
Mindanao based on where these spots are located. If the folders represent the sets 𝐿,
𝑉, and 𝑀, respectively, what would be the elements of these sets? Which of the three
has the highest cardinality?

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Key Points

● A set is a collection of well-defined and distinct objects.

● A set is in roster form when all elements of a set are listed and enclosed in braces.
The elements are separated by comma.
● A set is in set-builder form when a common property of all the elements of a set is
written.
● A set is said to be a subset of another set if all the elements of it are contained in the
another set.
● Proper subset is a subset which does not contain all the same elements of a set.
● Empty set or Null set is a set with no elements.
● Universal set is a set containing all objects or elements of all related sets. This is
denoted by 𝑈.
● Cardinality of a set is the number of elements in a set.

Bibliography
Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Set." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 2, 2014.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/set-mathematics-and-logic.

Cuemath. “Sets - Types, Symbols, Properties, Examples: Sets in Math.” Accessed September 30,
2021. https://www.cuemath.com/algebra/sets/.

Jenn. “Sets in Math (Defined & Illustrated W/ 23 Examples!).” Calcworkshop, January 24, 2021.
https://calcworkshop.com/set-theory/sets/.

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Lippman, David. “Introduction to College Mathematics.” Lumen. Accessed September 30, 2021.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-hostos-introcollegemath/chapter/set-theory/.

Shadrach, Ricky. “Introduction to Sets.” Math is Fun, May 26, 2020.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/sets/sets-introduction.html.

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