Yes, \( 2 \frac{1}{42} \) is a rational number.
A rational number is defined as a number that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction of two integers, where the denominator is not zero.
To express \( 2 \frac{1}{42} \) as an improper fraction, you can convert it as follows:
\[ 2 \frac{1}{42} = 2 + \frac{1}{42} = \frac{2 \times 42}{42} + \frac{1}{42} = \frac{84}{42} + \frac{1}{42} = \frac{85}{42} \]
Since \( \frac{85}{42} \) is a fraction where both the numerator (85) and denominator (42) are integers, it confirms that \( 2 \frac{1}{42} \) is indeed a rational number.