The correct response is: It is an integer but not a whole number.
Here's a brief explanation:
- Whole numbers are non-negative integers (0, 1, 2, 3, ...), so -9 is not a whole number.
- Integers include all whole numbers and their negative counterparts (…, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...), so -9 is an integer.
- Since -9 is an integer, it is also a rational number (as any integer can be expressed as a fraction, such as -9/1).
Thus, -9 is indeed an integer but not a whole number.