Understanding Rational Numbers: Definition, Examples, and Operations

Rational numbers

Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers, where the denominator is not zero

Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers, where the denominator is not zero. In other words, rational numbers can be written in the form a/b, where a and b are integers and b is not equal to zero.

Examples of rational numbers include:

1. 3/4
2. -5/2
3. 2/1 (also known as 2, which is an integer)
4. 0/5 (also known as 0)
5. -7/3

Note that rational numbers can be positive or negative, and they can be whole numbers, fractions, or even integers. Rational numbers can also be written as decimals, either terminating (ends after a finite number of digits) or repeating (has a repeating pattern of digits).

To determine if a number is rational, it is important to check if it can be expressed as a ratio. For example, the number 1.5 can be expressed as the fraction 3/2, which makes it rational.

Rational numbers have many properties and can be operated on using arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It is important to remember that when adding, subtracting, or multiplying rational numbers, the denominators must be the same, so you may need to find a common denominator.

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