What is a rational number?

[jamsmom]

Too long since I was in school- sister is on phone asking



EDIT- never mind- sister is working on something else now

 

[nativetxn]

I could be misremembering but I think it is a fraction...1/4, 2/5

I think it is a ratio of numbers.

 

[SonjaB]

a number with no emotional issues?

I was told there would be no math in this job......

 

[Rajah]

Kath's got it. It's any number that can be represented as a fraction, such as 2 (4/2) or .25 (1/4). All whole numbers are rational because they can always be represented as a ratio of that number to 1 (ie: 10/1 = 10)

 

[Amphigorey]

An irrational number, therefore, is a number that cannot be expressed as a fraction. They do not end and they do not repeat. The square root of two is irrational, for example, as are e and pi.