TUNBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL

Mathematics

Rational and Irrational Numbers

~ Bindu Varma

Date

TUNBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, Bangalore

Number System

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• Without doing actual division check whether the following rational numbers
have terminating decimal representation.
23
• (i)
125
• Prime factorisation of 125 can be written as 5 × 5 × 5 = 53
23
• So the rational number has a terminating decimal.
125
61
• (ii)
75
• Prime factorisation of 75 = 3 × 5 × 5 = 3 × 52 . It is not in the form of
61
• 2𝑚 × 5𝑛 . So the rational number has a non terminating recurring decimal.
75
61
• = 0.8133333333…
75

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• Irrational Numbers: A number which has non-terminating and non-recurring
decimal is an irrational number.
• Ex: 5 = 2.236067977 …
• 2 = 1.41421356237309 … .
• 11 = 3.316624790355 … .
• Properties of irrational numbers
• (i) The sum of a rational and an irrational number is always irrational
• Ex: 5 + 3, 2 + 2
• (ii) The product of a non-zero rational number and an irrational number is
always irrational.
• Ex: 3 5, 2 2
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• (iii) The sum, the difference, the product and the quotient of two irrational
numbers need not be an irrational number.
• Ex: (i) 3 + 7 + 3 − 7 = 6 + 7 − 7 = 6, which is a rational number.
• (ii) 2 + 2 − 2−2 = 2+2− 2+2
• = 4, which is a rational number.
• (iii) (5 + 3)(5 − 3)
2
• 52
= − 3
• = 25 – 3= 22, which is a rational number.
3 32 3 32 3
• (iv) = × = × 16
2 2 2 2 2
3
• = × 4 = 6, which is a rational number.
2
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• (i) Find the square of 3+ 2
• Solution: ( 3 + 2)2
• = ( 3)2 +2 × 3 × 2 + ( 2)2
• =3+2 6+2
• =5+2 6
• (ii) Find the square of ( 5 − 2)
• Solution: ( 5 − 2)2
• = ( 5)2 −2 × 5 × 2 + 22
• =5−4 5+4=9−4 5

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• (3) Expand: (i) 7+ 2 7− 2
• Identity : 𝑎 + 𝑏 𝑎 − 𝑏 = 𝑎2 − 𝑏2
2 2
• 7+ 2 7− 2 = 7 − 2
• = 7−2=5
• (ii) (6 − 5)(6 + 5)
2
• 62
= − 5
• = 36 – 5 = 31

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• Surds (Radicals): If 𝑥 is a positive rational number and 𝑛 is a positive integer
1 1
𝑛
such that 𝑥 𝑜𝑟 𝑥 is irrational ,then 𝑥 is called surd or a radical.
𝑛 𝑛
1
• Examples: 11 𝑜𝑟 (11) 2
1
3
• 17 𝑜𝑟 17 3

• Rationalization : The process of rationalizing a surd by multiplying it with its

rationalizing factor is called rationalization.
1 5
• Example: Rationalize the denominator (i) , (ii)
3 2 2
1 1 3 3
• (i) = × = , Rationalizing factor is 3
3 3 3 3
5 5 2 5 2 5 2
• (ii) = × = = , Rationalizing factor is 2
2 2 2 2 2 2×2 4
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 Problems
• Rationalize the denominator of the following questions:
3
• (1)
5+ 2
3 3 5− 2
• Solution: =
5+ 2 5+ 2 5− 2
3( 5− 2)
• = 2 2
( 5) − 2
3 5− 2
• =
5−2
3 5− 2
• =
3
• = 5− 2
•
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 3+1
• (2)
3−1
3+1 ( 3+1)( 3+1)
• Solution: =
3−1 ( 3−1)( 3+1)
( 3+1)2
• =
( 3)2 −1
( 3)2 +2 3+1
• =
3−1
3+2 3+1 4+2 3
• = =
2 2
2(2+ 3)
• =
2
• =2+ 3

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• (3) Find the values of ′𝑎′ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ′𝑏’ in each of the following cases.
3
• (i) =𝑎 3−𝑏 2
3− 2
3
• L.H.S = , Rationalising the denominator
3− 2
3( 3+ 2)
• =
3− 2 3+ 2
3 3+3 2
• = 2
( 3)2 −( 2)
3 3+3 2
• = =3 3+3 2
3−2
• 3 3 + 3 2 = 𝑎 3 − 𝑏 2, comparing the terms on both sides
• 𝑎 = 3 𝑎𝑛𝑑 − 𝑏 = 3
• 𝑏 = −3
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 2 5+3 2
• (4)
2 5−3 2
2 5+3 2 (2 5+3 2)(2 5+3 2)
• Solution: =
2 5−3 2 (2 5−3 2)(2 5+3 2)
2
2 5+3 2
• = 2 2
2 5 − 3 2
(2 5)2 +2×2 5×3 2+ (3 2)2
• =
4×5−9×2
4×5+12 10+9×2
• =
20−18
20+12 10+18
• =
2
38+12 10
• =
2
2(19+6 10)
• = = 19 + 6 10
2
• TUNBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, Bangalore 12
 5+3 2
• (ii) 5−3 2
=𝑎+𝑏 2
5+3 2
• L.H.S = , Rationalising the denominator
5−3 2
(5+3 2)(5+3 2)
• =
(5−3 2)(5+3 2)
(5+3 2)2
• =
52 −(3 2)2
52 +2×5×3 2+(3 2)2
• =
25−9×2
25+30 2+18 43+30 2
• = =
7 7
43 30 2
• = +
7 7
43 30 2 43 30
• + = 𝑎 + 𝑏 2, comparing the terms on both sides , 𝑎= ,𝑏 =
7 7 7 7
•
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 22 17
• (5) Simplify: +
2 3+1 2 3−1
22 17 22 2 3−1 +17(2 3+1)
• Solution: + =
2 3+1 2 3−1 (2 3+1)(2 3−1)
44 3−22+34 3+17
• = 2
(2 3) −12
78 3−5
• =
4×3−1
78 3−5
• =
11

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 1 1 1 2
• (6) If 𝑥 = 2 3 + 2 2, find (i) , 𝑖𝑖 𝑥 + , 𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑥+
𝑥 𝑥 𝑥
1 1
• Solution: (i) = , Rationalising the denominator
𝑥 2 3+2 2
2 3−2 2
• =
(2 3+2 2)(2 3−2 2)
2 3−2 2
• =
(2 3)2 −(2 2)2
2 3−2 2
• =
4×3−4×2
2 3−2 2 2 3−2 2
• = =
12−8 4
2( 3− 2)
• =
4
3− 2
• =
2
•
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 1 3− 2
• 𝑖𝑖 𝑥 + = (2 3 + 2 2) +
𝑥 2
2 2 3+2 2 + 3− 2
• =
2
4 3+4 2+ 3− 2
• =
2
5 3+3 2
• =
2
2 2
1 2 5 3+3 2 5 3+2 2
• (iii) 𝑥 + = =
𝑥 2 22
(5 3)2 +2×5 3×3 2+(3 2)2
• =
4
25×3+30 6+9×2 75+30 6+18 93+30 6
• = = =
4 4 4

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 4− 5 4+ 5
(7) Evaluate : +
4+ 5 4− 5
4− 5 4+ 5 4− 5 4− 5 +(4+ 5)(4+ 5)
Solution: + =
4+ 5 4− 5 (4+ 5)(4− 5)
(4− 5)2 +(4+ 5)2
= 2
42− 5
2 2
42 −2×4 5+ 5 +42 +2×4 5+ 5
=
16−5
16−8 5+5+16+8 5+5
=
11
16+5+16+5
=
11
42
=
11
9
=3
11

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