To determine why
The key points are:
-
Closure Property: The Closure Property states that when performing certain operations (like addition or multiplication) within a set (like integers), the result will remain within that set. In this case, we are using integers.
-
Rational Numbers: A number is classified as rational if it can be expressed as the quotient of two integers (i.e.,
, where and are integers and ).
Now, examining the expressions in the options, we know:
and are integers because are integers. is non-zero because both and are non-zero.
This leads us to:
- The numerator
is an integer (the sum of two integers). - The denominator
is a non-zero integer.
Thus, the fraction
Correct Answer Reasoning:
Among the provided options:
a. By the Closure Property,
This statement correctly captures the essence of why
Conclusion: The correct response is:
a. By the Closure Property,