RATIONAL AND IRRATIONAL NUMBER

RATIONAL NUMBER
A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a
fraction p/q where p and q are integers and q = 0.
A rational number p/q is said to have numerator p and
denominator q.
OR
In rational numbers, numerator and denominator should be
coprime and denominator should not be equal to zero.
Mathematically, rational numbers definition is given as the
number p/q if p and q are coprime, and q is not equal to zero.
Examples of rational number
a) 7 is a rational number as it can be written as 7/1, so 7 and 1
both are coprime and denominator is not equal to zero.

b) 1.351 is rational number as it can be written as

1351/1000
c) 0.33…. is also rational number as it can be written as 1/3?
8, 1.57, 2/3, 0. 66..., √64, √4 these all are rational
numbers.
 IRRATIONAL NUMBER

Numbers that are not rational are called irrational numbers.

The real numbers consist of the union of the rational and
irrational numbers.

Any real number is said to be an irrational number if the

number cannot be expressed in the form of a fraction where
the denominator is not equal to zero. 

Mathematically, the definition of the irrational number is

given as a number that cannot be expressed in the form of
p/q where p and q are coprime and q is not equal to zero .

Example
a) √2, √3, √5 are irrational number as these cannot be
written as p/q.

√2 = 1. 4142135.. it is non-terminating and non-recurring.

Same with value of √3, √5 is nonterminating and
nonrecurring.
So, these are irrational number.
 b) Value or π is irrational number as it is nonrecurring
and non terminating.

Amazing Facts

S.No Rational Numbers Irrational Numbers

Numbers that can be expressed as a ratio of Numbers that cannot be expressed as a

1 two number (p/q form) are termed as a ratio of two numbers are termed as an
rational number. irrational number.

Rational Number includes numbers, which These consist of numbers, which are non-
2
are finite or are recurring in nature. terminating and non-repeating in nature.

Rational Numbers includes perfect squares Irrational Numbers includes surds such as
3
such as 4, 9, 16, 25, and so on √2, √3, √5, √7 and so on.

Both the numerator and denominator are

Irrational numbers cannot be written in
4 whole numbers, in which the denominator is
fractional form.
not equal to zero.

5 Example: 1.36, 7, 5, 1/2 = 0.5, Example: √3, √17

 1. There are infinite rational number. we cannot find out smallest or
largest rational number.
2. Rational numbers are NOT only fractions but any number that can be
expressed as fractions.
3. Natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, fractions of integers, and
terminating decimals are rational numbers.
4. Non-terminating decimals with repeating patterns of decimals are also
rational numbers.
5. If a fraction has a negative sign either to the numerator or to the
denominator or in front of the fraction, the fraction is negative. i.e., -
a/b = a/-b.
6. Square root of non-perfect numbers are irrational numbers. i.e., √5,
√11
7.

Student Dialogue Suggested at students might engage in the mathematical practices as

they work on the mathematics task from this Illustration.
Students have previously learned the difference between rational and irrational numbers
and have seen examples of each.

They are now investigating what sums of different types of numbers will
produce.
(1) Nickita: What’s a rational number again? Isn’t it a fraction?

(2) Lee: Yeah, it’s a number that can be written as a b where a and b are
integers and b is not equal to zero.

(3) Nickita: Ok. So 2 is irrational and 1 2 is rational. What does that tell us
about the whole thing, 2 + 1 2 ?

(4) Janyyi: Well, we basically want to figure out if the following is true: 2 +
1 2 = rational number Let’s try rewriting it as: 2 = rational number − 1 2

(5) Nickita: Well… wait! That doesn’t look right! Isn’t the difference of two
rational numbers also rational? How can an irrational number equal a
rational number?!?! 2 irrational number  = rational number − 1 2 rational
number 

(6) Lee: You’re right—that doesn’t make sense! So what does that mean?

(7) Janyyi: Well, we assumed 2 + 1 2 = rational number . I guess that must

be false. The only other option is for it to be irrational. I wonder though…
what would have happened if we started with something different?

(8) Nickita: Like what? Sum of Rational and Irrational Is Irrational

(9) Janyyi: Well, let’s try 2 − 1 2 .

(10) Lee: So let’s see if 2 − 1 2 = rational number . We can rewrite that as 2

= rational number + 1 2 . (11) Nickita: But we have the same problem as
before. An irrational number can’t be equal to a rational number. So that
means 2 − 1 2 is irrational, too.

(12) Janyyi: What if we tried 2 + 2 ?

(13) Lee: Well, we can say 2 + 2 = rational number or 2 = rational number −

2.

(14) Nickita: That doesn’t work either. 2 + 2 has to be irrational.

(15) Janyyi: Let’s see if 7 + 2 is rational.

(16) Nickita: We’re just going to end up with 7 = rational number − 2 so 7 +

2 is irrational.
 (17) Lee: Hmm… I’m starting to see a pattern here. Every time we have:
irrational number ± rational number = rational number we end up rewriting
that as: irrational number = rational number  rational number

(18) Nickita: You’re right! And that ends up giving us something that
doesn’t make sense. The right-hand side is always a rational number, and
that can’t be equal to an irrational number.

(19) Janyyi: Well, I guess that can only mean one thing: irrational number ±
rational number ≠ rational number So the sum of an irrational and a
rational number must be irrational.

Questions
1. -3/7, 1/9, -4, 2/3 are

a. integer
b. whole number
c. irrational number
d. rational number
Ans d

2. if x2=3,y2=9,z3=27x2=3,y2=9,z3=27, which of these is true

a. x is a irrational number
b. y is a rational number
c. z is rational number
d. All of the above
Ans d

3. 5/8 in decimal form

a. 0.125
b. 0.625
c. 0.65
d. 0.25
Ans b

4. which of the following statement is true?

a. √4 is irrational number.
b. √2 is rational number
 c. π is irrational number.
d. All of the above

Ans c

5. Identify 1/9 number as rational and irrational number with reason

1/9 , 3/7, √25, 6, 1.25, 0.33…, 078, 2/19

Ans 1/9 rational number as it is in p/q form and decimal value is 0.1111… recurring
and non-terminating.

6. Identify 3/7 number as rational and irrational number with reason

Ans 3/7 rational number as it is form of p/q and its decimal value is 0.
42857142857.. recurring and non-terminating.

7. Identify 2/19 number as rational and irrational number with reason

Ans 2/19 is irrational number as it is non-terminating and non-reoccurring.

8. Identify 0.33…. number as rational and irrational number with reason

Ans 0.333…. is rational number as it is recurring number

9. State √99 is rational or irrational with reason.

Ans. √99 is irrational number as square root of non-perfect square is
irrational.

10.Identify 0.4/0.8 as rational or irrational number.

Ans 0.4/0.8 is rational number as we ger ½ after simplification.

11.Which of the following is irrational number and why.

a. √10000
b. √625
c. √8125/√13
d. √79
Ans d

12.What we will get when we multiply two irrartional numbers?

a. Rational number
b. Irrational number
c. integer
 d. Rational or Irrational number
Ans d

13.Which of the following is not irrational number?

a. 4 π
b. √(6 +3)
c. 2+ √5
d. √11

Ans b

14.( 5+√ 5) (5-√5) or (2+√2)2 which one is irrational number?

Ans ( 2+√2)2 hint ( (a+b)2

15.  The product or quotient of nonzero rational number with an irrational

number will be….

a. Rational number
b. Irrational number
c. zero
d. rational / irrational
e. Ans b

16.Value of (√6 + √5)2

a. 30
b. 71
c. √11
d. 11+2√30
Ans d

17. A rational number can be expressed as terminating decimal when the factors
of the denominator are
a. 2 or 5 only
b. 2 or 3 only
c. 3 or 5 only
d. 3 or 7 only
Ans a

18.Check your knowledge

 Mark T/F as appropriate:
a. Number of the form 2n+12n+1 where n is any positive integer are always
odd number
b. Product of two prime number is always equal to their LCM
c. √3×√123×12 is a irrational number
d. Every integer is a rational number
e. The HCF of two prime number is always 1
f. There are infinite integers between two integers
g. There are finite rational number between 2 and 3
h. √3 Can be expressed in the form √3/1,so it is a rational number
i. The number 6n for n in natural number can end in digit zero

a. True
b. True
c. False, as it is written as 6
d. True ,as any integer can be expressed in the form p/q
e. True
f. False,There are finite integer between two integers
g. False
h. False
i. False

19.If x is a number whose simplest form is p/q, where p and q are integers and
q≠0, then x is a terminating decimal only when q is of the form _________
a) 3m×5n
b) 2m×6n
c) 2m×5n
d) 7m×5
Ans. c

20.After how many places of decimal, will the decimal expansion of the rational
number 57/2456 terminate?
a) 4
b) 6
c) 7
d) 8
Ans b
 Explanation:
We have,
57/2456=57×222656=228/106 = 0.000228
The number 57/2456 will terminate after 6 decimal places.

21.Ratio of circumference to diameter of a circle is

a) integer
b) rational number
c) irrational number
d) not known
Ans c (2 πd /d )

22. Vanesa is calculating area of a square with side 6 cm. what will the area ?
can we say it as rational number ?
a)12 , no
b)12 , yes
c)36 cm2 ,yes
d)36 cm2 , no
Ans c

23.What are the seven rational numbers between 1 and 2?

24.Write 0.9999…. as rational number
a)9
b)0.9
c)99
d)1
Ans 1

25.Reina is calculating irrational numbers between √2 and √3 , how many

numbers will she find

a)1
b)0
c)Infinite
d)2

Ans c