rational or irrational number
nounUK /ˈræʃənəl ɔːr ɪˈræʃənəl ˈnʌmbə/
US /ˈræʃənəl ɔːr ɪˈræʃənəl ˈnʌmbər/
A rational or irrational number is a way to sort numbers by whether they can be written as a simple fraction.
In math class, we learned that 1/2 is a rational or irrational number question with a clear answer: it is rational.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A rational number can be written as a fraction of two integers.
Three-fourths is a rational number because it is a fraction.
3. An irrational number cannot be written as a simple fraction and its decimal never ends or repeats.
Pi is an irrational number because its digits go on forever without repeating.
4. The pair is often used in school to teach how different real numbers behave.
The worksheet asked us to label each number as a rational or irrational number.