RBQE - Number System (Lesson)

Number System

The chart above represents the Real Number System. It is important to understand the rules of the real number system and how to identify various numbers. We start out with real numbers; any number you can think of is "real". In future math courses, you will learn about "imaginary numbers" but we'll leave for later!

Next, real numbers break into Rational & Irrational Numbers.

Rational Numbers are defined as any number that can be written as a ratio!

Examples:  -1/2, 8, 52, 0.33333 = 1/3                 

Irrational Numbers are numbers that cannot be written as a ratio. These are decimals that go on forever without repeating. One of the most common irrational numbers is $\pi$. Other common irrational numbers are square roots of non-perfect squares.

Examples: $\sqrt[2]{6},-\sqrt[2]{15},\:\pi$              

Integers are any rational numbers that can be expressed as the sum or difference of a finite number of units, being a member of the set …–3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3…

Examples: 5, -92, 1, 257, -200                     

Whole numbers are all of the positive integers, including 0.

Examples: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ...                       

Natural numbers are all of the positive integers, without 0.

Examples: 1, 2, 3, 4, ...            

Number System Practice

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