Table of Contents
Introduction to Fraction and Rational Numbers
A fraction is a number that expresses a part of a whole. The number on the top of the fraction is the numerator and the number on the bottom of the fraction is the denominator.
For example, the fraction ¾ can be read as “three fourths.” This means that the numerator is 3 and the denominator is 4.
A rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction.
Fractional Reserve Banking
When a person deposits money in a bank, the bank does not keep all of that money in a vault. Instead, the bank loans out most of the deposited money to other people who need it. The bank keeps a small percentage of the deposited money in reserve to cover withdrawals and to ensure that there is always enough cash on hand to meet customer needs.
This process is called fractional reserve banking. It allows banks to lend out more money than they actually have on hand, which can help stimulate the economy.
However, fractional reserve banking also carries some risks. If too many people withdraw their money from a bank at the same time, the bank may not have enough cash on hand to cover all of the withdrawals. This could lead to a bank run, in which people rush to the bank to withdraw their money, and the bank is forced to close its doors.
Examples of Different Types of Fractions
A fraction is a number that represents a part of a whole. There are different types of fractions, each with its own name and symbol.
1. Proper fraction: A proper fraction is a fraction where the numerator (top number) is smaller than the denominator (bottom number). The symbol for a proper fraction is the slash (/). For example, 3/4 is a proper fraction.
2. Improper fraction: An improper fraction is a fraction where the numerator (top number) is larger than the denominator (bottom number). The symbol for an improper fraction is the bar (|). For example, 5|6 is an improper fraction.
3. Mixed number: A mixed number is a number that consists of a whole number and a fraction. The symbol for a mixed number is the number sign (#). For example, 2#3 is a mixed number.
4. Denominator: The denominator is the bottom number of a fraction. It tells you how many parts the whole is divided into. For example, the denominator of 3/4 is 4 because the whole is divided into 4 parts.
5. Numerator: The numerator is the top number of a fraction. It tells you how many parts of the whole are being represented. For example, the numerator of 3/4 is 3 because 3 of the 4 parts are being represented.
Rational Numbers
Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as a fraction, or in decimal form.
The simplest rational number is 1/1, or 1. The next simplest is 1/2, or 0.5. The next simplest is 1/3, or 0.333…, and so on.
Every rational number can be expressed as a repeating decimal. For example, 1/7 can be expressed as 0.142857142857…, 1/8 can be expressed as 0.125, and 1/9 can be expressed as 0.111111111111…
Examples of Rational Numbers
-1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100
Difference Between Fraction and Rational Numbers
A rational number is a number that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers, a numerator and a denominator. A fraction is a rational number that is expressed as a fraction, with a numerator and a denominator.
The difference between fractions and rational numbers is that fractions can be expressed in simplest form, while rational numbers cannot. For example, the fraction ¾ can be expressed as the rational number 3/4, but the rational number 7/10 cannot be expressed as a fraction in simplest form.
