Mrs"Math"Atee 2014 - 2015: Chapter 4.2 Rational Numbers - Compare and Order

Hi everybody,

I hope all is going well with Rational Numbers. Oh you ask, Rational Numbers? What are they? Ok, so this is a perfect example of NOT using the book's definition for easy understanding of a term. Go ahead and peek at the definition of a

rational number on page 271 if you dare!

So, let's look into Rational Numbers from what we know already. We have learned about integers, whole numbers as well as decimals that terminate(end) or repeat( have a pattern) and fractions. And we can't forget that we have learned about percents earlier. Well all of these are Rational Numbers. These are numbers that end or repeat. So, what is a number that is NOT Rational you may ask? Well, we all know of the most famous Irrational Number of all and that is pi. Pi is a number that never ends or repeats, therefore, we cannot tell the next digit, so we call them irrational numbers. There are many of these non ending non repeating decimals hanging out in the world! When you get down to it, what you are really talking about now are DECIMALS that do not end or repeat as irrational.

Fractions, whole numbers, integers, repeating decimals, terminating decimals, percents all are Rational Numbers.

Another vocabulary term you need to know is common denominator- with a common denominator you can compare fractions and/or add and subtract them. I am sure this is all a nice review as last years teachers went over fractions in details.

Yay to those teachers.

Comparing numbers or fractions in math, you are generally talking about finding out which one is larger or smaller or are they equal to each other. So when you compare, add or subtract fractions,most often they need to have a common denominator. Watch the videos and ask any question you still may have anytime. The first secret word from this blog is "thanks". Write this down in your Graphic Organizer in lesson 2.