What is the definition of an irrational number?

Question

A.
a number that is more than 10 digits

B.
a number that cannot be expressed as a fraction, , where p and q are integers and q is not equal to zero

C.
a number that can be written as a fraction but not as a decimal

D.
a negative number

Answer 1

The correct definition of an irrational number is:

B. a number that cannot be expressed as a fraction, \( \frac{p}{q} \), where p and q are integers and q is not equal to zero.

Irrational numbers cannot be written as a simple fraction and have non-repeating, non-terminating decimal expansions. Examples include numbers like \( \sqrt{2} \) and \( \pi \).