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CLASSIFICATION OF REAL NUMBERS - CONTINUED

5. Notice that, although Integers may be positive, negative, or zero, they must, by definition, be Integral (whole) units. I imagine  that some of you are thinking: “What about when we need to describe a part of something, like 1/3 cup of milk?” This is where the Non-Integral Rational Numbers come into play.

• The prefix “non” indicates that “is not”. Thus, the term “Non-Integral” means” is not a whole unit”. Additionally, the word “rational” has as its root the word ”ratio”. Therefore, “rational numbers” can be thought of as “ratio numbers”, which includes fractions  and decimals that either terminate or repeat.

• Examples of Non-Integral Rational Numbers include such numbers as:

Lesson 1.1: Real Numbers -- The Real Numbers

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Natural Numbers

{1, 2, 3, 4, ...}

Zero

{0}

Whole Numbers

{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, ...}

Opposites of Natural Numbers

{... ,-4, -3, -2, -1}

Integers

{... -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, ...}

Non-Integral

Rationals

Ex: -5.7, -¼, ½, 3⅞