A proof that the square root of 2 is irrational

Here you can read a step-by-step proof with simple explanations for the fact that the
square root of 2 is an irrational number. It is the most common proof for this fact and
is by contradiction.

How do we know that square root of 2 is an irrational number? In other words, how
do we know that √2 doesn't have a pattern in its decimal sequence? Maybe the
pattern is very well hidden and is really long, billions of digits?

Here is where mathematical proof comes in. The proof that √2  is indeed irrational is
usually found in college level math texts, but it isn't that difficult to follow. It does not
rely on computers at all, but instead is a "proof by contradiction": if √2  were a
rational number, we'd get a contradiction. I encourage all high school students to
study this proof since it illustrates so well a typical proof in mathematics and is not
hard to follow.

A proof that the square root of 2 is irrational

Let's suppose √2 is a rational number. Then we can write it √2  = a/b where a, b are
whole numbers, b not zero.

We additionally assume that this a/b is simplified to lowest terms, since that can
obviously be done with any fraction. Notice that in order for a/b to be in simplest
terms, both of a and b cannot be even. One or both must be odd. Otherwise, we
could simplify a/b further.

From the equality √2  = a/b it follows that 2 = a2/b2,  or  a2 = 2 · b2.  So the square
of a is an even number since it is two times something.

From this we know that a itself is also an even number. Why? Because it can't be
odd; if a itself was odd, then a · a would be odd too. Odd number times odd number
is always odd. Check it if you don't believe me!

Okay, if a itself is an even number, then a is 2 times some other whole number. In
symbols, a = 2k where k is this other number. We don't need to know what k is; it
won't matter. Soon comes the contradiction.

If we substitute a = 2k into the original equation 2 = a2/b2, this is what we get:

2 = (2k)2/b2
2 = 4k2/b2
2*b2 = 4k2
b2 = 2k2

This means that b2 is even, from which follows again that b itself is even. And that is
a contradiction!!!
WHY is that a contradiction? Because we started the whole process assuming
that a/b was simplified to lowest terms, and now it turns out that a and b both would
be even. We ended at a contradiction; thus our original assumption (that √2 is
rational) is not correct. Therefore √2 cannot be rational.

Rational Numbers
In Maths, rational numbers are represented in p/q form where q is not equal to
zero. It is also a type of real number. Any fraction with non-zero denominators is a
rational number. Hence, we can say that ‘0’ is also a rational number, as we can
represent it in many forms such as 0/1, 0/2, 0/3, etc. But, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, etc. are not
rational, since they give us infinite values. Also, check irrational numbers here and
compare them with rational numerals.
In this article, we will learn about what is a rational number, the properties of rational
numbers along with its types, the difference between rational and irrational numbers,
and solved examples. It helps to understand the concepts in a better way. Also, learn
the various rational number examples and learn how to find rational numbers in a
better way. To represent rational numbers on a number line, we need to simplify and
write in the decimal form first.
Let us see what topics we are going to cover here in this article.
Table of contents:


o Definition
o Types

 Standard Form
 Positive and Negative Rational Numbers
 Arithmetic Operations
 Multiplicative Inverse of Rational Number
 Properties
 Difference From Irrational Numbers
 Finding Rational Numbers between Two Rational Numbers
 Examples

What is a Rational Number?

A rational number, in Mathematics, can be defined as any number which can be
represented in the form of p/q where q ≠ 0. Also, we can say that any fraction fits
under the category of rational numbers, where the denominator and numerator are
integers and the denominator is not equal to zero. When the rational number (i.e.,
fraction) is divided, the result will be in decimal form, which may be either terminating
decimal or the repeating decimal. 

How to identify rational numbers?

To identify if a number is rational or not, check the below conditions.
  It is represented in the form of p/q, where q≠0.
 The ratio p/q can be further simplified and represented in decimal form.
The set of rational numerals:

1. Include positive, negative numbers, and zero

2. Can be expressed as a fraction

Examples of Rational Numbers: 

p q p/q Rational

10 2 10/2 =5 Rational 

1 1000 1/1000 = 0.001 Rational 

50 10 50/10 = 5 Rational 

Types of Rational Numbers

A number is rational if we can write it as a fraction, where both denominator and
numerator are integers and denominator is a non-zero number.
The below diagram helps us to understand more about the number sets.

 Real numbers (R) include all the rational numbers (Q).

 Real numbers include the integers (Z).
 Integers involve natural numbers(N).
 Every whole number is a rational number because every whole number can
be expressed as a fraction.
  Rational Expressions
 Rational Numbers for Class 8
 Irrational Numbers
 Rational And Irrational Numbers

Standard Form of Rational Numbers

The standard form of a rational number can be defined if it’s no common factors
aside from one between the dividend and divisor and therefore the divisor is positive.
For example, 12/36 is a rational number. But it can be simplified as 1/3; common
factors between the divisor and dividend is only one. So we can say that rational
number ⅓ is in standard form.

Positive and Negative Rational Numbers

As we know that the rational number is in the form of p/q, where p and q are
integers. Also, q should be a non-zero integer. The rational number can be either
positive or negative. If the rational number is positive, both p and q are positive
integers. If the rational number takes the form -(p/q), then either p or q takes the
negative value. It means that
-(p/q) = (-p)/q = p/(-q).
Now, let’s discuss some of the examples of positive and negative rational numbers.

Positive Rational Numbers Negative Rational Numbers

If both the numerator and denominator If numerator and denominator are of

are of the same signs. opposite signs.

All are greater than 0 All are less than 0

Example: 12/17, 9/11 and 3/5 are Example: -2/17, 9/-11 and -1/5 are
positive rational numbers negative rational numbers

Arithmetic Operations on Rational Numbers

In Maths, arithmetic operations are the basic operations we perform on integers. Let
us discuss here how we can perform these operations on rational numbers, say p/q
and s/t.
Addition: When we add p/q and s/t, we need to make the denominator the same.
Hence, we get (pt+qs)/qt.
Example: 1/2 + 3/4 = (2+3)/4 = 5/4
Subtraction: Similarly, if we subtract p/q and s/t, then also, we need to make the
denominator same, first, and then do the subtraction.
Example: 1/2 – 3/4 = (2-3)/4 = -1/4
Multiplication: In case of multiplication, while multiplying two rational numbers, the
numerator and denominators of the rational numbers are multiplied, respectively. If
p/q is multiplied by s/t, then we get (p×s)/(q×t).
Example: 1/2 × 3/4 = (1×3)/(2×4) = 3/8
Division: If p/q is divided by s/t, then it is represented as:
(p/q)÷(s/t) = pt/qs
Example: 1/2 ÷ 3/4 = (1×4)/(2×3) = 4/6 = 2/3

Multiplicative Inverse of Rational Numbers

As the rational number is represented in the form p/q, which is a fraction, then the
multiplicative inverse of the rational number is the reciprocal of the given fraction.
For example, 4/7 is a rational number, then the multiplicative inverse of the rational
number 4/7 is 7/4, such that (4/7)x(7/4) = 1

Rational Numbers Properties

Since a rational number is a subset of the real number, the rational number will obey
all the properties of the real number system. Some of the important properties of the
rational numbers are as follows:

 The results are always a rational number if we multiply, add, or subtract any
two rational numbers.
 A rational number remains the same if we divide or multiply both the
numerator and denominator with the same factor.
 If we add zero to a rational number then we will get the same number itself.
 Rational numbers are closed under addition, subtraction, and multiplication.

Rational Numbers and Irrational Numbers

There is a difference between rational and Irrational Numbers. A fraction with non-
zero denominators is called a rational number. The number ½ is a rational number
because it is read as integer 1 divided by the integer 2. All the numbers that are not
rational are called irrational. Check the chart below, to differentiate between rational
and irrational.
Rationals can be either positive, negative or zero. While specifying a negative
rational number, the negative sign is either in front or with the numerator of the
number, which is the standard mathematical notation. For example, we denote
negative of 5/2 as -5/2.
An irrational number cannot be written as a simple fraction but can be represented
with a decimal. It has endless non-repeating digits after the decimal point. Some of
the common irrational numbers are:
Pi (π) = 3.142857…
Euler’s Number (e) = 2.7182818284590452…….
√2 = 1.414213…

How to Find the Rational Numbers between Two Rational Numbers?

There are “n” numbers of rational numbers between two rational numbers. The
rational numbers between two rational numbers can be found easily using two
different methods. Now, let us have a look at the two different methods.
Method 1: 
Find out the equivalent fraction for the given rational numbers and find out the
rational numbers in between them. Those numbers should be the required rational
numbers.
Method 2: 
Find out the mean value for the two given rational numbers. The mean value should
be the required rational number. In order to find more rational numbers, repeat the
same process with the old and the newly obtained rational numbers.
Solved Examples
Example 1:
Identify each of the following as irrational or rational: ¾ , 90/12007, 12 and √5.
Solution:
Since a rational number is the one that can be expressed as a ratio. This indicates
that it can be expressed as a fraction wherein both denominator and numerator are
whole numbers.

 ¾ is a rational number as it can be expressed as a fraction. 3/4 = 0.75

 Fraction 90/12007 is rational.
 12, also be written as 12/1. Again a rational number.
 Value of  √5 = 2.2360679775…….. It is a non-terminating value and hence
cannot be written as a fraction. It is an irrational number.
Example 2:  
Identify whether mixed fraction, 11/2 is a rational number.
Solution: 
The Simplest form of 11/2 is 3/2
Numerator = 3, which is an integer
Denominator = 2, is an integer and not equal to zero.
So, yes, 3/2 is a rational number.
Example 3:
Determine whether the given numbers are rational or irrational.
(a) 1.75 (b) 0.01   (c) 0.5  (d) 0.09   (d) √3
Solution:
The given numbers are in decimal format. To find whether the given number is
decimal or not, we have to convert it into the fraction form (i.e., p/q)
If the denominator of the fraction is not equal to zero, then the number is rational, or
else, it is irrational.

Decimal Number Fraction Rational Number

1.75  7/4 yes

0.01 1/100 yes

0.5 1/2 yes

 0.09 1/11 yes

√3 ? No 

To solve more problems on Rational Numbers register with BYJU’S – The Learning
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concepts. Also, take free tests to score well in your exams.

Frequently Asked Questions on Rational Numbers

How to identify the rational numbers?

If a number is expressed in the form of p/q then it is a rational number.
Here p and q are integers, and q is not equal to 0. A rational number should have a
numerator and denominator. Examples: 10/2, 30/3, 100/5.

What is the difference between rational and irrational numbers?

A rational number is a number that is expressed as the ratio of two integers, where
the denominator should not be equal to zero, whereas an irrational number cannot
be expressed in the form of fractions. Rational numbers are terminating decimals but
irrational numbers are non-terminating. Example of the rational number is 10/2, and
for an irrational number is a famous mathematical value Pi(π) which is equal
to 3.141592653589…….

Is 0 a rational number?
Yes, 0 is a rational number because it is an integer, that can be written in any form
such as 0/1, 0/2, where b is a non-zero integer. It can be written in the form: p/q =
0/1. Hence, we conclude that 0 is a rational number.

Is 7 a rational number?
7 is a rational number because it can be written in the form of ratio such as 7/1.

Is 9 a rational number?
9 is a rational number because it can be written in the form of ratio such as 9/1.

How to get a rational number between 3 and 4?

Rational number between 3 and 4 = 1/2 (3+4)
= 7/2

Identify Rational Numbers and Irrational Numbers

Congratulations! You have completed the first six chapters of this book! It’s time to
take stock of what you have done so far in this course and think about what is
ahead. You have learned how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide whole numbers,
fractions, integers, and decimals. You have become familiar with the language and
symbols of algebra, and have simplified and evaluated algebraic expressions. You
have solved many different types of applications. You have established a good solid
foundation that you need so you can be successful in algebra.

In this chapter, we’ll make sure your skills are firmly set. We’ll take another look at
the kinds of numbers we have worked with in all previous chapters. We’ll work with
properties of numbers that will help you improve your number sense. And we’ll
practice using them in ways that we’ll use when we solve equations and complete
other procedures in algebra.

We have already described numbers as counting numbers, whole numbers, and

integers. Do you remember what the difference is among these types of numbers?

Rational Numbers

What type of numbers would you get if you started with all the integers and then
included all the fractions? The numbers you would have form the set of rational
numbers. A rational number is a number that can be written as a ratio of two
integers.
Rational Numbers

A rational number is a number that can be written in the form   where   and   are
integers and 

All fractions, both positive and negative, are rational numbers. A few examples are

Each numerator and each denominator is an integer.

We need to look at all the numbers we have used so far and verify that they are
rational. The definition of rational numbers tells us that all fractions are rational. We
will now look at the counting numbers, whole numbers, integers, and decimals to
make sure they are rational.

Are integers rational numbers? To decide if an integer is a rational number, we try to

write it as a ratio of two integers. An easy way to do this is to write it as a fraction
with denominator one.

Since any integer can be written as the ratio of two integers, all integers are rational
numbers. Remember that all the counting numbers and all the whole numbers are
also integers, and so they, too, are rational.

What about decimals? Are they rational? Let’s look at a few to see if we can write
each of them as the ratio of two integers. We’ve already seen that integers are
rational numbers. The integer   could be written as the decimal   So, clearly,
some decimals are rational.
Think about the decimal   Can we write it as a ratio of two integers? Because   
means   we can write it as an improper fraction,   So   is the ratio of the
integers   and   It is a rational number.

In general, any decimal that ends after a number of digits (such as   or   is
a rational number. We can use the place value of the last digit as the denominator
when writing the decimal as a fraction.
Write each as the ratio of two integers: ⓐ ⓑ ⓒ
Solution

Write the decimal as a mixed number.

Then convert it to an improper

fraction.

Convert the mixed number to an improper

fraction.

Write each as the ratio of two integers: ⓐ ⓑ

1. ⓐ

2. ⓑ

Write each as the ratio of two integers: ⓐ  ⓑ

 1. ⓐ

2. ⓑ

Let’s look at the decimal form of the numbers we know are rational. We have seen
that every integer is a rational number, since   for any integer,   We can also
change any integer to a decimal by adding a decimal point and a zero.

We have also seen that every fraction is a rational number. Look at the decimal form
of the fractions we just considered.

What do these examples tell you? Every rational number can be written both as a
ratio of integers and as a decimal that either stops or repeats. The table below
shows the numbers we looked at expressed as a ratio of integers and as a decimal.

Rational Numbers

Fractions Integers

Number

Ratio of Integer

Decimal
number
Irrational Numbers

Are there any decimals that do not stop or repeat? Yes. The number   (the Greek
letter pi, pronounced ‘pie’), which is very important in describing circles, has a
decimal form that does not stop or repeat.

Similarly, the decimal representations of square roots of numbers that are not perfect
squares never stop and never repeat. For example,

A decimal that does not stop and does not repeat cannot be written as the ratio of
integers. We call this kind of number an irrational number.
Irrational Number

An irrational number is a number that cannot be written as the ratio of two integers.
Its decimal form does not stop and does not repeat.

Let’s summarize a method we can use to determine whether a number is rational or

irrational.

If the decimal form of a number

 stops or repeats, the number is rational.

 does not stop and does not repeat, the number is irrational.

Identify each of the following as rational or irrational:

ⓒ
Solution

ⓐ
The bar above the   indicates that it repeats. Therefore,   is a repeating
decimal, and is therefore a rational number.

ⓑ
This decimal stops after the  , so it is a rational number.

ⓒ
The ellipsis   means that this number does not stop. There is no repeating pattern of
digits. Since the number doesn’t stop and doesn’t repeat, it is irrational.
Identify each of the following as rational or irrational:

ⓐ ⓑ ⓒ
 1. ⓐ rational
2. ⓑ rational
3. ⓒ irrational

Identify each of the following as rational or irrational:

ⓐ ⓑ ⓒ

1. ⓐ rational
2. ⓑ rational
3. ⓒ irrational

Let’s think about square roots now. Square roots of perfect squares are
always whole numbers, so they are rational. But the decimal forms of square roots of
numbers that are not perfect squares never stop and never repeat, so these square
roots are irrational.
Identify each of the following as rational or irrational:

ⓑ
Solution

ⓐ The number   is a perfect square, since   So   Therefore   is

rational.

ⓑ Remember that   and   so   is not a perfect square.

This means   is irrational.

Identify each of the following as rational or irrational:

1. ⓐ rational
2. ⓑ irrational

Identify each of the following as rational or irrational:

1. ⓐ irrational
2. ⓑ rational
Classify Real Numbers

We have seen that all counting numbers are whole numbers, all whole numbers are
integers, and all integers are rational numbers. Irrational numbers are a separate
category of their own. When we put together the rational numbers and the irrational
numbers, we get the set of real numbers.

(Figure) illustrates how the number sets are related.

This diagram illustrates the relationships between the different types of real
numbers.

Real Numbers

Real numbers are numbers that are either rational or irrational.

Does the term “real numbers” seem strange to you? Are there any numbers that are
not “real”, and, if so, what could they be? For centuries, the only numbers people
knew about were what we now call the real numbers. Then mathematicians
discovered the set of imaginary numbers. You won’t encounter imaginary numbers in
this course, but you will later on in your studies of algebra.
Determine whether each of the numbers in the following list is a ⓐ whole
number, ⓑ integer, ⓒ rational number, ⓓ irrational number, and ⓔ real number.

Solution
ⓐ The whole numbers are   The number   is the only whole number given.
ⓑ The integers are the whole numbers, their opposites, and   From the given
numbers,   and   are integers. Also, notice that   is the square of   
so   So the integers are 

ⓒ Since all integers are rational, the numbers   are also rational.
Rational numbers also include fractions and decimals that terminate or repeat,
so   are rational.

ⓓ The number   is not a perfect square, so   is irrational.

ⓔ All of the numbers listed are real.

We’ll summarize the results in a table.

Numbe Rationa
Whole Integer Irrational Real
r l

Determine whether each number is a ⓐ whole number, ⓑ integer, ⓒ rational

number, ⓓ irrational number, and ⓔ real number: 
Determine whether each number is a ⓐ whole number, ⓑ integer, ⓒ rational
number, ⓓ irrational number, and ⓔ real
number: 

ACCESS ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES

 Sets of Real Numbers

 Real Numbers

Key Concepts

 Real numbers
 o

Practice Makes Perfect

Rational Numbers

In the following exercises, write as the ratio of two integers.

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ

2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ

2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

In the following exercises, determine which of the given numbers are rational and
which are irrational.
,  , 

Rational:  . Irrational: 
 ,  , 
,  , 
Rational:  ,  . Irrational: 

, 
In the following exercises, identify whether each number is rational or irrational.
1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ rational
2. ⓑ irrational

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

1. ⓐ irrational
2. ⓑ rational

1. ⓐ
2. ⓑ

Classifying Real Numbers

In the following exercises, determine whether each number is whole, integer,

rational, irrational, and real.

,  ,  ,  , 
 ,  ,  ,  , , 

,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Everyday Math

Field trip All the   graders at Lincoln Elementary School will go on a field trip to
the science museum. Counting all the children, teachers, and chaperones, there will
be   people. Each bus holds   people.

ⓐ How many buses will be needed?

ⓑ Why must the answer be a whole number?

ⓒ Why shouldn’t you round the answer the usual way?

Child care Serena wants to open a licensed child care center. Her state requires
that there be no more than   children for each teacher. She would like her child
care center to serve   children.

ⓐ How many teachers will be needed?

ⓑ Why must the answer be a whole number?

ⓒ Why shouldn’t you round the answer the usual way?

1. ⓐ 4
2. ⓑ Teachers cannot be divided
3. ⓒ It would result in a lower number.

Writing Exercises

In your own words, explain the difference between a rational number and an
irrational number.
Explain how the sets of numbers (counting, whole, integer, rational, irrationals, reals)
are related to each other.
Answers will vary.

Self Check

ⓐ After completing the exercises, use this checklist to evaluate your mastery of the
objectives of this section.

ⓑ If most of your checks were:

…confidently. Congratulations! You have achieved the objectives in this section.

Reflect on the study skills you used so that you can continue to use them. What did
you do to become confident of your ability to do these things? Be specific.

…with some help. This must be addressed quickly because topics you do not master
become potholes in your road to success. In math, every topic builds upon previous
work. It is important to make sure you have a strong foundation before you move on.
Who can you ask for help? Your fellow classmates and instructor are good
resources. Is there a place on campus where math tutors are available? Can your
study skills be improved?
…no—I don’t get it! This is a warning sign and you must not ignore it. You should get
help right away or you will quickly be overwhelmed. See your instructor as soon as
you can to discuss your situation. Together you can come up with a plan to get you
the help you need.

Glossary

Irrational number
An irrational number is a number that cannot be written as the ratio of two
integers. Its decimal form does not stop and does not repeat.
Rational number

A rational number is a number that can be written in the form  ,

where p and q are integers and. Its decimal form stops or repeats.
Real number
a real number is a number that is either rational or irrational.
In order to understand what rational numbers are, we first need to cover some basic
math definitions:

 Integers are whole numbers (like 1, 2, 3, and 4) and their negative

counterparts (like -1, -2, -3, and -4).
 Fractions are numbers that are expressed as ratios. A fraction is a part of
a whole.
 Fractions have numerators, which are the numbers on the top of the fraction
that show the parts taken from the whole.
 Fractions also have denominators, which are the numbers on the bottom of
the fraction that show how many parts are in the whole.

Okay! Now that we know those terms, let’s turn to our original question.

What is a rational number?

A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction where both

the numerator and the denominator in the fraction are integers. The denominator in a
rational number cannot be zero.

Expressed as an equation, a rational number is a number

a/b, b≠0

where a and b are both integers.

This equation shows that all integers, finite decimals, and repeating decimals are
rational numbers. In other words, most numbers are rational numbers.
Here’s a hint: if you’re working with a number with a long line of different
decimals, then your number is irrational! If you’re working with an integer or a
number with terminal or repeating decimals (like 1.333333), then your number is
rational!

Now that we know the rational number definition, let’s use that definition to examine
some numbers and see if they’re rational or not.

Let’s start with the number 6.

The number 6 is an integer. It’s also a rational number. Why?

Because 6 can also be expressed as 6/1.

When expressed as 6, both the numerator and the denominator are

integers. The denominator doesn’t equal 0.

What about the number -6?

-6 can be written as -6/1. Or 6/-1.

Either way, -6 is a rational number, because it can be expressed as a fraction

where the numerator and denominator are integers and the denominator
doesn’t equal 0.

What’s an Irrational Number?

The opposite of rational numbers are irrational numbers.

In simple terms, irrational numbers are real numbers that can’t be written as a simple
fraction like 6/1.

Take π.

π is a real number. But it’s also an irrational number, because you can’t write π
as a simple fraction:

π = 3.1415926535897932384626433832795 (and counting)

There’s no way to write π as a simple fraction, so it’s irrational.

The same goes for √2.

The √2 equals 1.4142135623730950...(etc).

You can’t make √2 into a simple fraction, so it’s an irrational number.

There aren’t any famous rational numbers, because the vast majority of
numbers are rational. There are a few famous irrational numbers. Here are some
ones you might have seen:

 e: The number e (Euler's Number) is another famous irrational number.

People have also calculated e to lots of decimal places without any pattern
showing. The first few digits look like this:
2.7182818284590452353602874713527.

 π: People have calculated Pi to over a quadrillion decimal places and still

there is no pattern. The first few digits look like this:
3.1415926535897932384626433832795

 √: Many square roots, cube roots, etc are also irrational numbers. Examples:
o √3 = 1.7320508075688772935274463415059 (etc)
o √99 = 9.9498743710661995473447982100121 (etc)

Not all square roots are irrational numbers, though! If your square root results in
a whole number (like √4 or √9), then you actually are working with a rational number!

That’s not the only thing you have to be careful about! Sometimes, multiplying two
irrational numbers will result in a rational number. For example,

√2 * √2 = 2

2 is a rational number.

Rationals & Irrationals Numbers

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Check out the

subsets of the Real
Numbers shown in
the diagram at the
right. Notice that
the rational and
irrational numbers
are contained
within the set of
Real Numbers.
 A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a

fraction (ratio) in the form  where p and q are integers and q is

 not zero.

Examples:     

A rational number can be expressed as a ratio (fraction).

When a rational number fraction is divided to form a decimal value,

it becomes a terminating or repeating decimal.

Some rational fractions may produce a large number of digits in their repeating patterns, which
may exceed the size of the viewing screen on a calculator. The fraction 53/83 has a calculator
display of 0.6385542169, which shows no repeating pattern, when in reality the pattern will repeat
after 41 digits.

 To convert a repeating decimal to a fraction:

  To show that the rational numbers are dense:
(between any two rationals there is another rational)

 An irrational number is a number that is NOT rational. It cannot

be expressed as a fraction with integer values in the numerator
and denominator.

Examples:     

When an irrational number is expressed in decimal form, it goes on forever without

repeating.

Regarding  :
While it is popular to use 3.14 or  to
represent "pi", these values are only estimates
or approximations. Notice the differences in the
decimal representations on the calculator
screen at the right.

 Properties of Rational and Irrational Numbers:

Since rational and irrational numbers are subsets of the real numbers,
they possess all of the properties assigned to the real number system.

What is a Rational Number?

We already know about some types of numbers. The numbers that we are familiar with
are natural numbers, whole numbers, and integers. Natural numbers are the ones that
begin with 1 and goes on endlessly up to plus infinity. If we include 0 in these sets of
numbers, then these numbers become whole numbers.

Now in these sets, if we also include the negative numbers, then we call it as integers.
So all the numbers that we see collectively on the number line are called integers. But
what is a rational number?

A rational number is a number that can be written in the form of a numerator upon a
denominator. Here the denominator should not be equal to 0. The numerator and the
denominator will be integers. A rational number is of the form

\frac{p}{q}qp

p = numerator, q= denominator, where p and q are integers and q ≠0

Examples: \frac{3}{5}53, \frac{-3}{10}10−3, \frac{11}{-15}−1511. Here we can see that

all the numerators and denominators are integers and even the denominators should
be non-zero.

Browse more Topics under Number Systems

 Irrational Numbers

 Irrational Numbers Between two Numbers

 Operations on Irrational Numbers

 Laws for Exponents for Real Numbers

Positive and Negative Rational Numbers
Any rational number can be called as the positive rational number if both the
numerator and denominator have like signs. A rational number which has either the
numerator negative or the denominator negative is called the negative rational number.
Identify the Rational Numbers

 \frac{2}{7}72: Here 2 is an integer, 7 is an integer so yes it is a rational

number.

 \frac{0}{0}00: Here there is 0 in the denominator too. So it is not a rational

number.

 -9: Here -9 can be written \frac{-9}{1}1−9. So it is a rational number.

 0: 0 is a  rational number.

Properties of Rational Number

1. A rational number remains unchanged when a non zero integer m is multiplied to
both numerator and denominator.

\frac{p × m }{q ×m }q×mp×m

Suppose we take the number \frac{2}{5}52 and multiply both numerator and

denominator by 3 then, \frac{2 × 3 }{5 ×3 }5×32×3 the result that we get is \frac{6}
{15}156. Now this \frac{6}{15}156 is the standard form. If we express it in its simplest
form we get it as \frac{2}{5}52.

2. A rational number remains unchanged when a non zero same integer m is divided to
both numerator and denominator.

\frac{p ÷ m }{q ÷ m }q ÷mp ÷m

Suppose we take the number \frac{6}{15}156 and divide both numerator and

denominator by 3 then, \frac{6 ÷ 3 }{15 ÷ 3 }15÷36 ÷3 the result that we get is \frac{2}
{5}52.

Standard Form of Rational Number

Now \frac{24}{36}3624 is a rational number. But when this number is expressed in its
simplest form, it is \frac{2}{3}32. A rational number is in its standard form if it has no
common factors other than 1 between the numerator and denominator and the
denominator is positive.

Solved Examples for You

Question 1:  What fraction lies exactly halfway between \frac{2}{3}32 and \frac{3}

{4}43 ?

A. \frac{3}{5}53
 B. \frac{5}{6}65

C. \frac{7}{12}127

D. \frac{9}{16}169

E. \frac{17}{4}417
Answer : The correct option is “E”. Comsider 3 × 4 = 12. So,
\frac{2}{3}32 = \frac{8}{12}128
\frac{3}{4}43 = \frac{9}{12}129
Multiplying the numerator and denominatoe by 2
\frac{16}{24}2416 = \frac{18}{24}2418
The midpint is \frac{17}{24}2417

Question 2: If we divide a positive integer by another positive integer, what is the

resulting number?

A. Always a natural number

B. Always an integer

C. A rational number

D. An irrational number
Answer : The correct option is “C”. If we divide a positive integer by another positive
integer, the resulting number is always a rational number. Though it can be a natural
number and an integer only if the denominator is 1.

Question 3: Give a simple definition of rational number?

Answer: A rational number refers to a number that one can write as a fraction.
Rational numbers happen to be real numbers. Moreover, these numbers can be
positive or negative.

Question 4: How can you identify a rational number?

Answer: A rational number is a number whose writing can take place as a ratio. That
means it is possible to write it as a fraction such that both the numerator and the
denominator are whole numbers. The number 8 is a rational number because one can
write it as the fraction f8/1.

Question 5: Can we say that 3.5 is a rational number?

Answer: Yes, we can say that 3.5 is a rational number. Furthermore, 3.5 has a
decimal because of which it is not a whole number. A rational number refers to any
value which has equivalence to the ratio two integers. 3.5 is equivalent to the ratio of 7
and 2, thus it is a rational number.

Question 6: Can we say that 0.25 is a rational number?

Answer: Decimal 0.25 is certainly a rational number. This is because it shows the ratio
or fraction 25/100 and both 25 and 100 are integers.