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Lecture Notes

This document provides a mathematics skill development module on number types, specifically distinguishing between rational and irrational numbers. It contains 5 questions that evaluate a student's understanding of rational and irrational numbers. The questions cover expressing a repeating decimal as a fraction, determining which numbers are rational, whether the sum and product of rational numbers is rational, and expressing a rational number as a quotient of integers.

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monicalingke
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21 views

Lecture Notes

This document provides a mathematics skill development module on number types, specifically distinguishing between rational and irrational numbers. It contains 5 questions that evaluate a student's understanding of rational and irrational numbers. The questions cover expressing a repeating decimal as a fraction, determining which numbers are rational, whether the sum and product of rational numbers is rational, and expressing a rational number as a quotient of integers.

Uploaded by

monicalingke
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mathematics Skill Development - Module 1

Mathematics Skill Development - Module 1


Number Types

The following questions will evaluate the student’s understanding of the difference between rational and
irrational numbers. In general, the level of difficulty increases with each question.

1
1. Express 11 as a repeating decimal.

Solution:

1
Using long division or a calculator, we see that 11 = 0.0909090909....

2. Which of the following are rational?


√ √ √ √ √ √ √
3, 2 + 1, π, −( 2 − 1)(1 + 3)(1 + 2)( 3 − 1)
Solution:
√
Using a calculator, we see that 3 = 1.732050808... with no repeating pattern. Thus, it is irrational.
√ √ √
2 is irrational. If 2 + 1 was a rational number, we could write it in the form 2 + 1 = m n for some
√
integers m and n. Rearranging this equation, we have 2 = −1 + m . The right hand side is a rational
n √
number while the left hand side is irrational which is a contradiction. Therefore 2 + 1 cannot be a rational
number
√
We claim that π is irrational. If it were rational, then we would be able to write
√ m
π=
n
2
where m and n are integers and n 6= 0. Squaring both sides of this identity, we conclude that π = m n2 . Since
this is√a ratio of 2 integers, we have that π is rational which is obviously not true. Thus, it must be the case
that π is irrational.

Finally,
√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √
−( 2 − 1)(1 + 3)(1 + 2)( 3 − 1) = − ( 2 − 1)( 2 + 1)( 3 − 1)( 3 + 1)
= − (2 − 1)(3 − 1)
=−2

which is rational.

3. Is the sum of two rational numbers a rational? How about the product?

Solution:

a
These statements are both true. If x and y are both rational numbers, then we may express x = b and
y = dc , where a, b, c, d ∈ Z with b, d 6= 0. Then
a c ad + bc
x+y = + =
b d bd

1
Mathematics Skill Development - Module 1

which is again rational since bd 6= 0. So the sum of two rational numbers must be rational.

Similarly, the product of two rationals is given by


a c ac
x·y = · = ,
b d bd
which is rational.

4. Is the sum of irrational numbers again irrational? How about the product of two irrationals?

Solution: These statements√ are √ not necessarily true. √


That
√ is they
√ are true for some numbers but not
for
√ √ others.
√ For example 2 and 3 and their product 2 3 = 6 are all irrational numbers. However
2 2 = 4 = 2 is a rational number.
√ √ √ √ 
The same is true for the sums. 2 + 3 is an irrational number while 2 + − 2 = 0 is rational.

5. Express the rational number 1.5̄ as a quotient of integers in lowest terms.

Solution:

If we let x = 1.5̄, then 10x = 15.5̄ = 14 + x. Subtracting x from 10x, we then have

9x = 14
14
and x = 9 .

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