Lesson Objectives:

Students should be able to:

1. Define a real number;
2. List the sets of numbers that make up the real number system;
3. Describe the sets of numbers in the real number system.
What are real
numbers
anyway?
 What is a Real Number?
A real number is any number that can be found on the real number line.
 The Real Number System

To categorize and describe all the numbers that exist based on

similarities and differences, Mathematicians invented the real number

system.
 The Real Number System

The Real Number System consists of two main sets of numbers:

1. Rational Numbers

2. Irrational Numbers
 The Real Number System
The set of Rational Numbers is divided into three (3) other sets of numbers

(subsets):

1. Integers

2. Whole Numbers

3. Natural Numbers
The Real Number System
Lets look at the sets individually!
NATURAL NUMBERS
Definition Facts / Characteristics
• Also called counting numbers.
• The set of counting numbers.
• Starts from 1 to positive infinity.
• Does not include the number zero, fractions or
decimals.
• Is represented by the symbol

Examples
Natural Non-examples
Numbers 0
-6
½
{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,…} 0.2
WHOLE NUMBERS
Definition Facts / Characteristics
• Include the number zero
• The set of natural numbers and
• Starts from 0 to positive infinity.
zero. • Does not include fractions or decimals.
• Is represented by the symbol
• All natural numbers are whole numbers.

Examples
Whole Non-examples
Numbers 7%
-5
¾
{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,…} 0.75
INTEGERS
Definition
• The set of whole numbers and the
negative of natural numbers.
Facts / Characteristics
• Ascend to positive infinity and descend to
negative infinity.
• Does not include fractions or decimals.
• Is represented by the symbol
• All natural numbers and whole numbers are
integers.

Examples Integers Non-examples

15%
-0.25

{…-5, -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…} 0.1

RATIONAL NUMBERS
Definition
• The set of numbers that can be
written as a fraction where a
and b are integers and b ≠ 0.
Facts / Characteristics
• The numerator and denominator are integers, however,
the denominator should not be equal to zero.
• Include fractions.
• Include decimals that end (terminating decimals) and
decimals that repeat (repeating decimals)
• Can be positive or negative.
• Is represented by the symbol
• All natural numbers, whole numbers and integers are
rational numbers.

Examples Rational Non-examples

24% -1.8
Numbers
3.5 15 0.333… (undefined!)
- 2.2360679774997…
IRRATIONAL
NUMBERS
Definition Facts / Characteristics
• Includes non-repeating and non-terminating
• The set of numbers that CANNOT
decimals.
be written as a fraction of two • A number cannot be rational and irrational at
integers. the same time.
• Does not have a symbol but is usually
represented by
Q'
Examples Irrational Non-examples
Numbers 7% 0
- -5 28
¾
4.1231056256176…
0.75
REAL NUMBERS
Definition Facts / Characteristics
• The set of rational and irrational • Include positive numbers, negative
numbers and zero.
numbers.
• Is represented by the symbol

Examples
Real Non-examples
Numbers
(imaginary number)
 Practice Classifying Real Numbers
Write the set(s) of real numbers to which each of the following numbers
belong:

1. 0 6.
2. -13 7. -½
3. ¼ 8. 5.6
4. 9. -
5. 10. 8%