Finish Line & Beyond

NUMBER SYSTEM
Natural Numbers

Whole Numbers

Integers

Rational Numbers

Irrational Numbers

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 Finish Line & Beyond

Natural Numbers: All numbers starting from 1 and going upto the highest possible
number is called natural numbers. Natural number is denoted by N.

Whole Numbers: If zero is included with natural numbers then the set is called a
collection of whole number. Whole numbers are denoted by W.

Integers: If we include negative numbers alongwith whole numbers then the

collection is called integers. Integers are denoted by Z.

p
Rational Numbers: Any number which is written in the form of , where p and q
q
are integers and q ≠ 0 , is called a rational number. Rational number is denoted by r.

Question 1: Is zero a rational number?

p
Answer: Zero can not be written in the form , where p and q are integers and q
q
≠ 0, because when divided by any number 0 will always give infinity as result. While
rational numbers always give terminating decimal values.

Question 2: Find six rational numbers between 3 and 4.

3+ 4 7
Answer: Step1: =
2 2
7
3+ 13
Step2: 2=
14
2
7
+ 4 15
Step3: 2 =
4
2
13 7
+ 31
Step4: 14 2 =
14
2
15 7
+ 39
Step5: 4 2=
8
2
31 13
+ 11
Step6: 14 14 =
7
2
You can notice that by calculating averages between two numbers we get a number
which is exactly between these two numbers. This way you can go on calculating
infinite numbers of numbers.

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3 4
Question3: Find five rational numbers between and
5 5
3 4
+ 7
Answer: Step1: 5 5 =
10
2
3 7
+ 13
Step2: 5 10 =
20
2
7 4
+
Step3: 10 5 3
=
2 4
3 13
+
Step4: 5 10 19
=
2 20
3 4
+
Step5: 4 5 31
=
2 40

Question4: State if following statements are true or false:

(a) Every natural number is a whole number.
(b) Every integer is a whole number.
(c) Every rational number is a whole number.

Answer: (a) As natural number is all numbers starting from 1 and the whole number
includes zero as well so this statement is true. On the other hand every whole
number is not natural number as zero is not a natural number.

(b) Only positive integers are whole numbers.

(c) Rational numbers are not whole numbers as they are not complete.

p
Irrational Numbers: If a number cannot be written in the form , where p and q
q
are integers and q ≠ 0 . Example: 2, 3 , π . These numbers result in non-
terminating and non-recurring decimals so they are called irrational numbers.

The collection of all rational and irrational numbers is called real number and is
denoted by R. In other words every point on the number line represents a unique
real number. To understand the number line try to visualize a scale with so many
marks between any two numbers. The following pictures depicts how 2 can be
depicted on the number line.

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 Finish Line & Beyond

0 1 2

In the given picture suppose each side of the given square is measuring
1 unit. Then the diagonal will be 2 . Now if the diagonal is rotated so that it
becomes horizontal and falls on the number line then the point up to which diagonal
will reach will be the exact position of 2 on the number line.

Real Numbers and their decimal expressions:

1. Some rational numbers, when converted to decimal form give terminating

decimal.

2. Some rational numbers, when converted to decimal form give non-terminating

recurring decimal.

7
Example: = 0.875 , in this case a point comes when we get 0 as remainder. So
8
this is a case of terminating decimal.

10
=3.33333, in this case we always keep on getting 1 as remainder and quotient
3
keeps on repeating. This is the case of non-terminating recurring decimal.

1
= 0.142857 , this is also a case of non-terminating recurring decimal.
7

In case of irrational number we get a non-terminating and non-recurring decimal.

Question5: Write the following in decimal form and comment on their kind of
decimal expression.

36
(a) = 0.36 , as we get zero as remainder at last so it is a terminating decimal.
100
1
(b) = 0.09090909 , we don’t get zero as remainder and the quotient keep on
11
repeating, so this is non-terminating recurring decimal.
1
(c) 4 = 4.125 , terminating decimal.
8

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1
Question5: You know that = 0.142857 , Without doing the long division fin the
7
2 3 4 5 6
values of , , , ,
7 7 7 7 7
Answer: Multiplying the numerator with the decimal expression in question you get
very interesting observation:
2
0.142857 × 2= 0.285714, So, = 0.285714
7
Similarly, 0.142857 × 3 = 0.428571
0.142857 × 4 = 0.571428
0.142857 × 5 = 0.174285
0.142857 × 6 = 0.857142
p
Question6: Express the following in the form , where p and q are integers and
q
q≠0

6 2
(a) 0. 6 = =
9 3
47
(b) 0. 47 =
99
1
(c) 0. 001 =
900
Put 9 for every non-zero digit in the denominator and zero for zero in the
denominator.

Question7: What can the maximum number of digits be in the repeating block of
1
digits in the decimal expression of ?
17

A fraction in lowest terms with a prime denominator other than 2 or 5 (i.e. coprime
to 10) always produces a repeating decimal. The period of the repeating decimal, 1⁄p,
where p is prime, is either p − 1 (the first group) or a divisor of p − 1 (the second
group).

Examples of fractions of the first group are:

1
• ⁄7 = 0.142857 ; 6 repeating digits
1
• ⁄17 = 0.0588235294117647 ; 16 repeating digits
1
• ⁄19 = 0.052631578947368421 ; 18 repeating digits
1
• ⁄23 = 0.0434782608695652173913 ; 22 repeating digits
1
• ⁄29 = 0.0344827586206896551724137931 ; 28 repeating digits

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1
• ⁄97 = 0.01030927 83505154 63917525 77319587 62886597 93814432
98969072 16494845 36082474 22680412 37113402 06185567 ; 96
repeating digits

The following multiplications exhibit an interesting property:

2
• ⁄7 = 2 × 0.142857... = 0.285714...
3
• ⁄7 = 3 × 0.142857... = 0.428571...
4
• ⁄7 = 4 × 0.142857... = 0.571428...
5
• ⁄7 = 5 × 0.142857... = 0.714285...
6
• ⁄7 = 6 × 0.142857... = 0.857142...

Question8: What property a rational number must satisfy to have terminating

decimal expression

Answer: If the denominator is either 2 or 5 as its factor then the result will be
terminating decimal. As 10 is the product of 2 and 5 so to have terminating decimal
2 or 5 are required. If there is a prime number other than 2 or 5 in the denominator
then the decimal can or cannot be treminating.

Operations on Real Numbers:

If a and b are positive real numbers then:

(a) ab = a b

a a
(b) =
b b

(c) ( a+ b )( )
a − b = a−b

(d) ( a + b )( a − b ) = a²-b
(e) ( a+ b )( )
c + d = ac + ad + bc + bd

(f) ( )
a + b ²= a + 2 ab + b

Question9: Simplify the following expressions:

(a) (5 + 7 )( 2 + 5 )

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Lets assume that 5=a, 7 =b, 2=c and 5 =d

Then ( a + b )(c + d ) = ac + ad + bc + bd

Putting values of a, b, c and d we get

10 + 5 5 + 2 7 + 35

Laws of exponents:

(a) am . an = am+n

(b) (am)n = amn

(c) am/an = am-n , m>n

(d) ambm = (ab)m

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