Problem 42 - Introductory and Intermediate Algebra for College Students 4th

Question

Give an example of a number that is a rational number, an integer, and a real number.

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

One example of a number that is a rational number, an integer, and a real number is 2.

Step 1: Understand the number categories

First, it's important to understand the categories that the number must fit into: A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction (a/b) where a and b are integers and b ≠ 0. An integer is a number with no fractional or decimal part, including zero and negative whole numbers. A real number is a value that represents a quantity along a continuous line, including all rational and irrational numbers.

Step 2: Identify a number that fits all categories

Now that we have a clear understanding of what each number category entails, we need to find a number that can belong to all these categories. Rational numbers include all integers, since any integer a can be written as a fraction a/1. Likewise, all rational numbers are real. Knowing this, any integer (for example, 2) would be an appropriate choice, because it fits the criteria of all three number categories.