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01-Rational and Irrational Numbers - Summary Note

1. Rational numbers can be expressed as fractions with integer numerators and non-zero integer denominators. Irrational numbers include numbers with non-terminating and non-recurring decimal representations like the square root of 2, as well as numbers like pi. 2. The set of rational numbers is closed under addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division by non-zero numbers. Rational numbers can be represented as either terminating or recurring decimals. 3. There are infinitely many rational numbers between any two rational numbers, and methods are described for generating rational numbers between given values.

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100% found this document useful (2 votes)
908 views8 pages

01-Rational and Irrational Numbers - Summary Note

1. Rational numbers can be expressed as fractions with integer numerators and non-zero integer denominators. Irrational numbers include numbers with non-terminating and non-recurring decimal representations like the square root of 2, as well as numbers like pi. 2. The set of rational numbers is closed under addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division by non-zero numbers. Rational numbers can be represented as either terminating or recurring decimals. 3. There are infinitely many rational numbers between any two rational numbers, and methods are described for generating rational numbers between given values.

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Rational and Irrational Numbers – Summary Notes

INTRODUCTION
The complete number system is divided into two types of numbers:
1. Imaginary numbers 2. Real Numbers
For example:
1. If x  4,  x i.e., 4 is an imaginary number and x  4  2 is a real number.
2. 5 is imaginary but 5 is real and so on.
Thus, square root of every negative number is an imaginary number and if the number is not
imaginary, it is a real number.
In this chapter, we confine our studies only upto real numbers.
Starting from real numbers, the complete number system is as shown below:

RATIONAL NUMBERS (Q)


a
A number which can be expressed as , where ‘a’ and ‘b’ both are integers and ‘b’ is not equal
b
to zero, is called a rational number.
In general, the set of rational numbers is denoted by the letter Q.
a 
 Q   : a, b  Z and b  0
b 
a
1. is a rational number
b
 (i) b  0
(ii) a and b have no common factor other than 1 (one) i.e., a and b are co-primes.
(iii) b is usually positive, whereas a may be positive, negative or zero.
2. Every integer (positive, negative or zero) and every decimal number is a rational number.
a a
3. Corresponding to every rational number , its negative rational number is .
b b
a a a 3 3 3
Also,    e.g.,    and so on.
b b b 5 5 5
a c
4. Two rational numbers and are equal, if and only if: a  d  b  c .
b d
a c
i.e.,   a  d  b  c
b d
a c a c
Also,   a  d  b  c and   a  d  b  c .
b d b d
ab
5. For any two rational numbers a and b, is also a rational number which lies between
2
a and b. Thus:
ab ab
If a  b  a   b and if a  b  a   b.
2 2

Example 1: Insert three rational numbers between 3 and 5.


Solution:
35
Since, 3  5  3  5. [Inserting one rational number between 3 and 5]
2
3 45
3 4 45
3 4 5
2 2
7 9 1 1
 3   4   5 3  3  4  4  5
2 2 2 2
1 1
 3 , 4 and 4 are three rational numbers between 3 and 5.
2 2
1. There are infinitely many rational numbers between each pair of rational numbers.
a c ac
2. For rational numbers and , is also a rational number with its value lying between
b d bd
a c
and .
b d
For example 1, given above:
Consider the rational numbers 3 and 5
3 5 3 5
i.e., and where 
1 1 1 1
3 35 5 3 4 5
   i.e.,  
1 11 1 1 1 1
3 3 4 4 45 5
    
1 11 1 11 1
7 9 1 1
 3   4   5 i.e., 3   4  4  5
2 2 2 2
Also, every terminating and non-terminating recurring decimal number between 3 and 5 is a
rational number between 3 and 5.
For example:

(i) 3.2  3.85  4.3 (ii) 4.97  4.294  3.87  3.2

METHOD FOR FINDING LARGE NUMBER OF RATIONAL NUMBERS BETWEEN


TWO GIVEN RATIONAL NUMBES
Let x and y be two rational numbers such that x  y .
yx
In order to find n rational numbers between x and y, first of all find d  .
n 1
Then, n rational number between x and y are:
x  d , x  2d , x  3d ,......, x  nd .
In example 1, given above: 3  5
 x  3 and y  5
To insert 3 rational numbers between 3 and 5, n  3
y  x 53 2 1
d     .
n 1 3 1 4 2
 Required rational numbers are: x  d , x  2d and x  3d
1 1 1 1 1
 3  ,3  2  and 3  3   3 , 4 and 4
2 2 2 2 2

PROPERTIES OF RATIONAL NUMBERS (Q)


1. The sum of two or more rational numbers is always a rational number.
2. The difference of two rational numbers is always a rational number.
If a and b are any two rational numbers, then each of a  b and b  a is also a rational number.
3. The product of two or more rational numbers is always a rational number.
4. The division of a rational number by a non-zero rational number is always a rational number.
a
If a and b are any two rational numbers and b  0 ; then is always a rational number.
b
Since, the sum (addition) of two rational numbers is always a rational number; we say that the
set of rational numbers is closed for addition.
In the same way, the set of rational numbers is closed for:
(i) subtraction (ii) multiplication and (iii) division; if divisor  0 .

DECIMAL REPRESENTATION OF RATIONAL NUMBERS


[Terminating decimals and non-terminating recurring decimals]
Every rational number can be expressed either as a terminating decimal or a non-terminating decimal.
(a) Examine the following rational numbers:
1 1 2
(i)  0.125 (ii)  0.04 (iii) 3  3.4
8 25 5
In each example, given above, the division is exact i.e. no remainder is left. The quotients
of such divisions are called terminating decimals.
(b) Now, examine the following divisions:
3 18
(i)  0.428571428.... (ii)  0.7826086....
7 23
In each example, given above, the division never ends, no matter how long it continues.
The quotients of such divisions are called non-terminating decimals.
(c) Further, examine the following divisions:
4 11 4
(i)  0.4444.... (ii)  0.36666.... (iii)  0.571428571428....
9 30 7
In (i); digit ‘4’ is repeated again and again.
In (ii); digit ‘3’ is not repeated but digit '6' is repeated again and again.
In (iii); the set of digits ‘571428’ is repeated again and again.
13
Similarly, in  0.29545454.... ; ‘29’ is not repeated but ‘54’ is repeated.
44
In such cases; the process of division will never end (terminate) and in the decimal part, either a
single digit or a set of digits repeats in some specific order.
Such a non-terminating decimal, in which a digit or a set of digits repeats continually, is called
a recurring or a periodic or a circulating decimal. The repeating digit or the set of repeating digits
is called the period of the recurring decimal.
4
Therefore, in (i)  0.4444.....; 4 is the period,
9
11
in (ii)  0.36666......;6 is the period and
30
4
in (iii)  0.571428571428......;571428 is the period.
7
Notation: The period of recurring decimals is indicated as follows:
(i) If only one digit repeats, a dot or a bar is put above it.
4 
Thus,  0.4444......  0.4 or  0.4 ;
9
11 
 0.36666....  0.36 or 0.36
30
(ii) If two digits repeat, a dot or a bar is put above each.
13  
Thus,  0.29545454....  0.295 4 or 0.29 54
44
(iii) If three or more digits repeat, dots are put above the first and the last repeating digits or a bar
is put over all the repeating digits.
4
Thus,  0.571428 571428.....
7
 
 0.571428 or 0.571428
In a recurring decimal, if all the digits in the decimal part are not repeating, it is called a mixed
recurring decimal.
 
e.g. 0.78, 0.439, 3.54 7, etc.

IRRATIONAL NUMBERS Q  
(a) The square roots, cube roots, etc., of natural numbers are irrational numbers; if their exact
values cannot be obtained.
m is irrational, if exact square root of m does not exist.
Similarly, 3 m is irrational, if exact cube root of m does not exist.
(b) A non-terminating and non-recurring decimal is an irrational number.
e.g. (i) 0.42434445 ,…. (ii) 3.862045…. and so on.
Circumference of a circle
(c) The number  
Diameter of the circle taken
 3.14159265358979323846264338327950....
= An irrational number
22 22
[We often take as an approximate value of  , but   ]
7 7
(i) 3  5  8; 7  5  2
(ii) 5  5  10; but 5  5  2 5 and 5 5 5
5 2 7
(iii)  5,  2,  7 and so on.
5 2 7
(iv) 48  2  2  2  2  3  2  2  3  4 3 and so on.
p
As per classical definition of rational numbers, if a number can be expressed as , where p and
q
q are integers and q  0; it is a rational number. But in cases like 2, 3 , etc., such
representation is not possible, so, such numbers are irrational numbers.
Remember that:
1. If p is a number whose square  p 2  is divisible by 2, then necessarily p is also divisible by
2. Similarly, if:
(i) p 2 is divisible by 3  p is divisible by 3,
(ii) p 2 is divisible by 5  p is divisible by 5 and so on.
2. A number is rational if:
p
(i) the number can be expressed as , where p and q are integers and q  0 .
q
(ii) p and q do not have any common factor other than unity (1)
p
Suppose, p and q both have a common factor 2; then is not rational. Similarly, if p and q
q
p
both have 3 as a common factor, then is not rational and so on.
q

More about irrational numbers:


1. For any two positive rational numbers x and y
If x and y are irrationals then:
x  y  x  y and x  y  x y.
2. (i) a  b x  c  d x  a  c and b  d .
(ii) 5  a 3  b  2 3  b  5 and a  2 .
(iii) x 5  3 2  4 5  y 2  x  4 and y  3 and so on.
3. The negative of an irrational number is always irrational.
4. The sum of a rational and an irrational number is always irrational.
5. The product of a non-zero rational number and an irrational number is always irrational.

Note 1: The sum of two irrational numbers may or may not be irrational.
e.g.    
(i) 3  5  6  5  9; which is not an irrational number.

(ii)  7  3   
2 3  7 3 2 3

 7  2; which is an irrational number.


Note 2: The difference of two irrational numbers may or may not be irrational
e.g.    
(i) 8  10  3  10  5; which is not an irrational number.

(ii)  3 2  5    7 2  12   3 2  5  7 2  12

 10 2  17; which is an irrational number.


Note 3: The product of two irrational numbers may or may not be irrational.
e.g.    
(i) 3  5  3  5  9  5  4; which is not an irrational number.

(ii)  2  3    3  2   6  2 2  3 3  6 ; which is an irrational number.

1. Since, 5  25 and 6  36 ; therefore, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and
35 are irrational numbers between 5 and 6.
2. Since, 3 2  32  2  18 and 2 3  22  3  12 ; therefore 17, 15, 14 and 13
are irrational numbers between 3 2 and 2 3 .

REAL NUMBERS (R)


The union of the set of rational numbers and the set of irrational numbers is called the set of real
numbers, i.e. R  Q  Q .
Rational number (Q):
= Set of all terminating or recurring decimals.
Irrational numbers Q :  
= Set of all non-terminating and non-recurring decimals.

SURDS (Radicals)
1
n
If x is a positive rational number and n is a positive integer such that x n i.e., x is irrational; then
1/n
x is called a surd or a radical.
 6 is a surd,
3
(i) 6 is a positive rational number, (ii) 3
6 is an irrational number.
(i) Similarly, 5, 4 8, 3 20 , etc. are surds as 5, 8, 20, etc. are positive rational numbers.
(ii) But 4, 3 27 and 4
625 are not surds because 4  2, 3 27  3 and 4
625  5 i.e. 4, 3
27
and 4 625 are not irrational numbers.
1. Every surd is an irrational number, but every irrational number is not a surd.
For example, ‘  ’ is an irrational number but not a surd.
2. Let a be a rational number and n be a positive number greater than 1, then n
a i.e., a1/n is
called a surd of order n.
 (a) 5 is a surd of order 2.
(b) 3 10 is a surd of order 3.
5
(c) 7 is a surd of order 5 and so on.

RATIONALISATION (For surds of order 2)


When two surds are multiplied together such that their product is a rational number, the two surds
are called rationalizing factors of each other.
The process of rationalizing a surd by multiplying it with its rationalizing factor is called
rationalization.
Examples:
(i) Since, 5 2  3 2  15  2  30 ; which is a rational number, therefore 5 2 and 3 2 are
rationalizing factors of each other.
(ii) 3 7 and 4 7 are rationalizing factors of each other.
As 3 7  4 7  12  7  84 ; which is a rational number.
Since: (i) 2 5  3 5  6  5  30  2 5 and 3 5 are rationalizing factors of each other.
(ii) 2 5  5  2  5  10  2 5 and 5 are rationalizing factors of each other.
3 3
(iii) 2 5   6  2 5 and are rationalizing factors of each other.
5 5
Therefore, from examples, given above, we can conclude that the rationalizing factor of a surd
is not unique.

SIMPLIFYING AN EXPRESSION BY RATIONALISING ITS DENOMINATOR

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