Numbers & operations · TEKS 7.2
Number sets
Number sets fit inside each other like nesting boxes: whole numbers sit inside integers, and integers sit inside rational numbers.
Key steps
- Whole numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, …
- Integers: whole numbers and their negatives (… −2, −1, 0, 1, 2 …)
- Rational numbers: anything you can write as a fraction of integers, such as −3/4, 0.25, 7 and −2.5
Worked example
Which sets does −6 belong to?
- It is a negative counting number, so it is an integer.
- Every integer is rational (−6 = −6/1).
- It is not a whole number, because whole numbers are never negative.
- Answer: integers and rational numbers.
Watch out: A fraction can still be an integer: 12/4 = 3. Simplify before deciding.
Practice
5 questions with new numbers every set. Get 4 of 5 to mark this topic as practiced.