SOLUTION: what is the difference between rational and irrational numbers?

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Question 10244: what is the difference between rational and irrational numbers?
Answer by rapaljer(4551) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
As you might suspect, rational and irrational numbers are opposite types of numbers. A rational number is any number that can be expressed as a RATIO (that's where they get the name RATIOnal number!) of two integers. That is, a rational number consists of all fractions, whole numbers, and terminating decimals (that is, decimals that come out even), or repeating decimals (that is, decimals that repeat a pattern).

Irrational numbers include numbers such as sqrt%282%29,sqrt%283%29,+sqrt%285%29, pi, pi%2F2, and other "strange" numbers that NEVER come out even and never repeat a pattern.

Together, the rational and irrational numbers make up the real numbers, which includes all numbers that can be located anywhere on the real number line.

R^2 at SCC