LEGO Technic part Numbers My daughter got the LEGO Technic - Service Truck set. When we looked at the instructions, we saw a different notation on parts.

eg: the beams (cross beam) it has number 5 in white circle. what does that 5 stand for. Other instructions in same book have the number 3 or 7 in white circle.

Can anybody advise what these numbers mean?
Beams, axles, panels, and axles connectors usually have numbers next to them, to uniquely identifies the piece:


for beams and axles, the number is the length (length in number of holes)
for panels, it identifies the panel (and the panel mold contains the same number)
for axle connectors, it identifies the angle (again, the same number is part of the mold, and visible on the piece)


Same pieces with different colors have the same number attached