The REAL Numbers

Lecture-2
1. Real Numbers (R) – Includes all rational and irrational numbers
• Example: A company’s annual revenue is $5,432,750.25. Is this a real
number?
✅ Answer: Yes, because it can be placed on a number line and
includes decimal values.

• Example: A building's height is 35.7 meters. Is this a real number?

✅ Answer: Yes, because it represents a measurable quantity.
Natural Numbers (N)
• Natural numbers are the set of counting numbers.
{1, 2, 3,…}

• Natural numbers denoted by N in set theory.

• Next natural number is written as n+1
Even and Odd Number

• Odd numbers: 3, 5, 29;

• Even numbers: 4, 80, 38 etc

Whole Numbers (Z*)
• Whole numbers are the set of numbers that
include 0 plus the set of natural numbers.

{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,…}
 Whole Numbers (W) – Non-negative integers (0, 1, 2, 3...)
• Example: A factory produces 500 items per day. Is this a whole
number?
✅ Answer: Yes, because 500 is a non-negative integer.

• Example: A business has 0 unpaid invoices for this quarter. Is this a

whole number?
✅ Answer: Yes, because 0 is included in whole numbers.
Integers (I)
• Integers are the set of whole numbers and their
opposites.
{…,-3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3,…}

• The Numbers -1, -2, -3, ….. are negative integers.

• The Numbers +1, +2, +3, ….. are positive integers. In
case of positive integer, sign is not necessary.
• The number 0 is the only integer that has no sign.
• 0,1,2,3,----- is also known as nonnegative integer.
• a + x = y when a>y and a, x, y are the natural numbers.
Is this correct?
 Integers (Z) – Whole numbers, including negatives and zero
• Example: A company recorded a profit of +100,000 dollars in January
and a loss of -50,000 dollars in February. Are these integers?
✅ Answer: Yes, both +100,000 and -50,000 are integers (they do not
have fractions or decimals).

• Example: The temperature in a city dropped to -7°C in winter. Is this

an integer?
✅ Answer: Yes, because -7 is a whole number.
Rational Numbers (Q)
• Rational numbers are any numbers that can be
expressed in the form of a , where a and b are
integers, and b ≠ 0. b
• Why is b ≠ 0?
• They can always be expressed by using terminating
decimals (2/5) or repeating decimals (1/6).
(0.4) or (0.1666666…)
Terminating Decimals
• Terminating decimals are decimals that contain a
finite number of digits.
• Examples:
36.8
0.125
4.5
Repeating Decimals
• Repeating decimals are decimals that contain a
infinite number of digits.
• Examples:
0.333…
 1.9
7.689689…
Rational Numbers (Q) – Can be expressed as fractions (p/q)
• Example: A store sells 3.5 kg of rice per customer. Is this a rational
number?
✅ Answer: Yes, because 3.5 = 7/2, which is a fraction.
• Example: The stock price of a company increased by 0.75 dollars per
share. Is this rational?
✅ Answer: Yes, because 0.75 = 3/4, a fraction.
Irrational Numbers
• Irrational numbers are any numbers that cannot be
expressed as a
b
• They are expressed as non-terminating, non-repeating
decimals; decimals that go on forever without repeating a
pattern.
• Examples of irrational numbers:
• 0.34334333433334…
• 45.86745893…

2
Irrational Numbers (I) – Cannot be written as a simple fraction
• Example: The value of π (pi) = 3.14159265... is used in circular area
calculations. Is this an irrational number?
✅ Answer: Yes, because π is a non-repeating, non-terminating
decimal.

• Example: A designer measures a diagonal length of a square as √5

meters. Is this an irrational number?
✅ Answer: Yes, because √5 = 2.236..., which cannot be written as a
simple fraction.
Other Vocabulary Associated with the
Real Number System
• …(ellipsis)—continues without end
• { } (set)—a collection of objects or numbers. Sets are notated by
using braces { }.
• Finite—having bounds; limited
• Infinite—having no boundaries or limits
• Venn diagram—a diagram consisting of circles or squares to show
relationships of a set of data.
Tree Diagram of
Real Number System

0.5, 1.4, 0.256 0.3, 0.45

0.6392518…
Π, √2

/5, 4/11, 12/3

1

-5, -80

1, 2, 3…
 The Real Number System
zero
• The natural numbers are the counting numbers, without _______.

zero
• Whole numbers include the natural numbers and ____________.

opposites
• Integers include all whole numbers and their ________________.

• Rational numbers are real numbers that can be written as a

_____________ where a and b are integers and b ≠ 0. Any rational
number can be represented as a terminating or a repeating
decimal
___________.

rational
• Irrational numbers are any real numbers that are not _________.
Venn Diagram of the Real Number System
Rational Numbers Irrational Numbers
Example
• Classify all the following numbers as natural, whole, integer,
rational, or irrational. List all that apply.
a. 117
b. 0
c. -12.64039…
d. -½
e. 6.36

f.
g. -3
h. 4/9
To show how these number are classified, use the Venn diagram.
Place the number where it belongs on the Venn diagram.

Rational Numbers Irrational Numbers

Integers
4  6.36
4
Whole Numbers 9
9
Natural -12.64039…
-3 0 Numbers

117

1

2
Solution
• Now that all the numbers are placed where they belong in the Venn
diagram, you can classify each number:
• 117 is a natural number, a whole number, an integer, and a
rational
1
number.
•  2 is a rational number.
• 0 is a whole number, an integer, and a rational number.
• -12.64039… is an irrational number.
• -3 is an integer and a rational number.
• 6.36 is a rational number.
• is an irrational number.
• 4 is a rational number.
9
Practical Math Problem

1. Classifying Numbers into the Venn Diagram

Problem: Identify the category for the following numbers:
7, -5, 0, 3.5, 8/3, √16, π, -√5
Solution:
Number Classification
7 Whole Number, Integer, Rational, Real
-5 Integer, Rational, Real
0 Whole Number, Integer, Rational, Real
3.5 Rational, Real
8/3 Rational, Real
√16 (which is 4) Whole Number, Integer, Rational, Real
π (3.141592...) Irrational, Real
-√5 (-2.236...) Irrational, Real
FYI…For Your Information
• When taking the square root of any number that is not a perfect square,
the resulting decimal will be non-terminating and non-repeating.
Therefore, those numbers are always irrational.
More Explanation:
1.Perfect Square: A number whose square root is a whole number.
1. Example: 9 = 3 (since 9 is a perfect square)
2. Example: 16 = 4
2.Non-Perfect Square: A number whose square root is not a whole number.
1. Example: 2 = 1.414213562... (goes on forever without repeating)
2. Example: 7=2.645751311...
• Since numbers like √2, √3, √5, √7, √11 do not have exact fractions or
ending/repeating decimals, they are always irrational numbers.
Translating English to Maths
sum of two numbers a+b
difference between two numbers a-b
The product of two numbers ab
the quotient of two numbers a
b
is =
a is less than b a<b

b is greater than a b>a

 ORDER OF OPERATIONS
When there is more than one symbol of operation in an
expression, it is agreed to complete the operations in a certain
order. A mnemonic to help you remember this order is below.
Do any simplifying possible inside of brackets starting with
innermost brackets and working out

Apply Indices
Complete multiplication and division from left to right
Complete addition and subtraction from left to right
s i o n
e t s a t io n
c k ice li c ion tio n c t
r a nd l t ip i s d i t r a
u i v d u b
BIMDAS
 brackets – combine these first
indices – apply the indices now
complete multiplication and division, left to right
complete addition and subtraction, left to right

23  5  3 2  4
2

2 2   3 2  4
2

24  3 2  4
86 4
10

BIMDAS BIMDAS BIMDAS BIMDAS

Properties of Math
There are Four Properties of Math
• Commutative
• Associative
• Distributive
• Identity
1. Commutative Property
• This property states that the order in which you add or multiply numbers
does not change the result.
• Example (Addition):
a+b=b+a
3+5=5+3 (Both equal 8)
• Example (Multiplication):
a × b = b× a
4×7=7×4 (Both equal 28)
• Note: The commutative property does not apply to subtraction and
division.
2. Associative Property
• This property states that the way numbers are grouped in addition or
multiplication does not change the result.
• Example (Addition):
(a + b)+c=a+(b + c)
(2 + 3)+ 4=2 +(3+4)
(Both equal 9)
• Example (Multiplication):
(a × b)× c = a×(b × c)
(2×3)×4=2×(3×4)
(Both equal 24)
• Note: The associative property does not apply to subtraction and division.
3. Distributive Property
• This property states that multiplying a number by a sum is the same
as multiplying each addend separately and then adding the products.
• Example:
a×(b + c)=(a ×b )+(a × c)
5×(2+3)=(5×2)+(5×3)
5×5=10+15
25=25
4. Identity Property
• This property states that certain numbers (called identity elements)
do not change the value of another number in an operation.
• Example (Additive Identity):
a+0=a
7+0=7 (0 is the additive identity)
• Example (Multiplicative Identity):
a×1=a
9×1=9 (1 is the multiplicative identity)
 COMMUTATIVE PROPERTY

The operations of both addition and multiplication are

commutative
a  b b  a 3  2 2  3
When adding, you can “commute” or trade the terms places

a b b a 3 2 2 3
When multiplying, you can “commute” or trade the factors
places
 ASSOCIATIVE PROPERTY

The operations of both addition and multiplication are

associative
a  b  c a  b  c 
1  2  3 1  2  3
When adding, you can “associate” and add any terms first
and then add the other term.

a b c a b c 
2 34 2 3 4
When multiplying, you can “associate” and multiply any
factors first and then multiply the other factor.
 DISTRIBUTIVE PROPERTY
The operation of multiplication distributes over addition

a b  c  ab  ac
32  4 3 2  3 4
The distributive property also holds for a factor that is
multiplied on the left.

b  c a b a  c a
3  42 3 2  4 2
 CAUTION: Remember that the value for a
and/or b could also be positive or negative.

a  b   ab   a b  ab 
A positive A negative
times a NEGATIVE times a NEGATIVE
negative is positive is

  a  a a  a a
 
The negative POSITIVE b b b
of a negative
A positive A negative NEGATIVE
divided by a divided by a
 a a A negative negative or positive is
 divided by a
b b negative is POSITIVE
Factors, Multiples, Prime
Numbers & Composite
Numbers
Divisor, Dividend, Quotient, Remainder
Divisor, Dividend, Quotient, Remainder
Definition
• Product – An answer to a multiplication problem.

7 x 8 = 56
Product
Definition
• Factor – a number that is multiplied by another to give a
product.

7 x 8 = 56
Factors
Factors
Definition
• Factor – a number that divides evenly into another
number.

56 ÷ 8 = 7

Factors
Factors
👉 Definition: Factors are numbers that divide another number exactly
(without leaving a remainder).
🔹 Example:
• Factors of 12 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12
(Because 1 × 12, 2 × 6, 3 × 4 all give 12)
🔹 Key Point:
• Factors are always smaller than or equal to the number.
Factors
Test yourself…
What are the factors and products?

1) 6 x 7 = 42 Factors: 6 and 7
Product: 42

2) 63 ÷ 9 = 7 Factors: 7 and 9
Product: 63

3) 8 x 5 = 40 Factors: 5 and 8
Product: 40
Definition
• Prime Number – a number that has only two factors,
itself and 1.

• Example: 7 is prime because the only numbers that will

divide into it evenly are 1 and 7.
Examples of Prime
Numbers
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17,
19, 23, 29, 31, 37…
Definition
• Composite number – a number that has more than two
factors.

• Example: The number 8. The factors of 8 are: 1, 2, 4, 8.

Examples of Composite
Numbers

4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14,

15, 16, 18, 20, 21, …
Definition
• Prime Factorization – A way to write a composite
number as the product of its prime factors.

2 x 2 x 3 = 12
or

2 x 3 = 12
2
 How to do a Prime Factorization

- - Factor Tree Method - -

48
Step 1 – Write down any composite number. 2 x 24

Step 2 – Start dividing by the prime #s (start with 2).

If the composite number is divisible by 2, write it down and find the next factor.
If not, check if the factor is evenly divisible by 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.
 How to do a Prime Factorization

- - Factor Tree Method - -

48
Step 3 – Check the factors.
If they are prime, you are done. 2 x 24
If they are not, proceed to Step 4.
2 x 2x
12

Step 4 – Continue dividing.

If one of the factors is divisible by 2, write it down and find the next factor.
If not, check if the factor is evenly divisible by 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.
How to do a Prime Factorization

- - Factor Tree Method - -

48
Step 5 – Check the factors.
If they are prime, proceed to Step 6. 2 x 24
If they are not, repeat Step 4.
2 x 2 x 12
2 x 2 x 2 x 6
 How to do a Prime Factorization

- - Factor Tree Method - -

48
Step 5 – Check the factors.
If they are prime, proceed to Step 6. 2 x 24
If they are not, repeat Step 4.
2 x 2 x 12
2 x 2 x 2 x 6
Step 6 – Write the
Prime Factorization in 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 x 3
Exponential Form.
24 x 3 = 48
 Find the Prime
Factorization
4
Prime Factorization
2x2
2 =4
Prime Factorization
2
in Exponential Form
 Find the Prime
Factorization

6
Prime Factorization
2 x 3= 6
 Find the Prime
Factorization
27
3x9
Prime Factorization
3x3x3
Prime Factorization
in Exponential Form 3 = 27
3
 Find the Prime
Factorization
12
2x6
Prime Factorization
2x2x3
2 x 3 = 12
Prime Factorization 2
in Exponential Form
 Find the Prime
Factorization
18
2x9
Prime Factorization
2x3x3
2 x 3 = 18
2
Prime Factorization
in Exponential Form
 How to do a Prime Factorization
- - Ladder Method - -

2 18
Step 1 – Write down any composite number.
9

Step 2 – Start dividing by the prime #s (start with 2).

If the composite number is divisible by 2, write it on the left of the L
and write the other factor below the original composite #.
If not, check if the number is evenly divisible by 3, 5, etc.
 How to do a Prime
Factorization
- - Ladder Method - -

Step 3 – Check the factors. 2 18

If they are prime, proceed to Step 6.
3 9
If not, continue the process. Prime
3
#
Step 4 – Continue dividing the # on the next
rung of the ladder by the prime #s (start with 2).

Step 5 – Repeat this process until the # on

the next rung of the ladder is prime .
How to do a Prime
Factorization
- - Ladder Method - -

2 18
Step 6 – Write the
Prime Factorization in 3 9
Exponential Form. 3

Prime
Factorization 2 3 3
x x

Prime Factorization
in Exponential Form 2 32x
Find the Prime Factorization
- - Ladder Method - -

2 56
2 28
2 14
7 Prime
#

Prime Prime Factorization

Factorization 2 2 2 7
x x x
in Exponential Form 23 7
x
Summary
• One and 0 are not prime or composite number.
• Two is the only even prime number.
• Not all odd numbers are prime.
(examples: 9, 15, 21, 27, 33, 35, …)
• All composite numbers can be written as product
of prime numbers.
11️⃣Ladder Method
👉 The Ladder Method (also called Division Method) uses division to find
prime factors step by step.
🔹 Example: Prime Factorization of 60 using Ladder Method
markdown
2 | 60
2 | 30
3 | 15
5|5
| 1 (Stop at 1)
✅ Prime Factorization of 60 = 2×2×3×5^2
Factor Tree Method
👉 The Factor Tree Method breaks a number into factors repeatedly until
only prime numbers remain.
🔹 Example: Prime Factorization of 48 using Factor Tree
Markdown

✅ Prime Factorization of 48 = 2×2×2×2×3^2

Practice Questions

Q1: Use the Ladder Method to find the Prime Factorization of 90

Q2: Use the Factor Tree Method to find the Prime Factorization of 72
Q3: Find the Prime Factorization of 120 using any method