Describe the relationship between whole numbers, integers, and rational numbers.

1 answer

Whole numbers are a set of numbers that includes all the positive counting numbers (1, 2, 3, ...), and zero.

Integers, on the other hand, are a set of numbers that includes all whole numbers (positive counting numbers and zero), as well as their negatives (-1, -2, -3, ...).

Rational numbers include both whole numbers and integers, but they also include fractions and decimals that can be written as a ratio (a/b) where "a" and "b" are integers and "b" is not equal to zero. This means that rational numbers can be expressed as a fraction or a decimal that either terminates or repeats.

In summary, the relationship is that the set of whole numbers is a subset of integers, and the set of integers is a subset of rational numbers.