Understanding Rational Numbers: Definition, Examples, and Properties

rational number

A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction, where both the numerator and the denominator are integers

A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction, where both the numerator and the denominator are integers. In other words, a rational number can be written in the form a/b, where a and b are integers (b ≠ 0).

Examples of rational numbers include:

1. 3/4 – This fraction represents the division of 3 by 4, where 3 is the numerator and 4 is the denominator. Both 3 and 4 are integers, so 3/4 is a rational number.

2. -2/5 – Similarly, this fraction represents the division of -2 by 5. -2 and 5 are both integers, so -2/5 is also a rational number.

3. 2 – Whole numbers can also be considered rational numbers since they can be written as a fraction with a denominator of 1. For example, 2 is equivalent to 2/1.

Note that rational numbers can be either positive or negative. Additionally, they can be finite decimal numbers like 0.25 or repeating decimal numbers like 0.3333…

It is worth mentioning that not all numbers are rational. Numbers such as √2 (square root of 2) and π (pi) are examples of irrational numbers, which cannot be expressed as fractions.

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