To which subset of real numbers does -22 belong?
To determine the subset of real numbers to which -22 belongs, we need to understand the different subsets of real numbers. The subsets of real numbers include natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, rational numbers, and irrational numbers.
Let's go through each subset and see where -22 fits:
1. Natural Numbers: Natural numbers are the counting numbers starting from 1 (1, 2, 3, 4, ...). However, -22 is not a natural number because natural numbers only include positive integers.
2. Whole Numbers: Whole numbers are the set of natural numbers including zero (0, 1, 2, 3, ...). Since -22 is not zero or a positive number, it is not a whole number.
3. Integers: Integers include all the positive and negative whole numbers and zero (... -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, ...). Since -22 is a negative number, it falls into the subset of integers.
4. Rational Numbers: Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers. Any integer can also be expressed as a ratio, such as -22/1. Therefore, -22 is a rational number.
5. Irrational Numbers: Irrational numbers cannot be expressed as a ratio of two integers. Common examples include the square root of 2 (√2) or π (pi). Since -22 can be expressed as a fraction, it is not an irrational number.
Therefore, -22 belongs to the subsets of integers and rational numbers.