Do you think a negative sign affects whether or not a number is a national number? Use - 8/5 as an example

Question

I JUST REALLY NEED HELP WITH THE QUESTION

Answer 1

I am assuming you mean rational.  The answer is the negative sign does not matter.

 

This means in this case the following are equivalent to each other"

 

-8/5 = (-8)/5 = 8/(-5).

 

To be rational the only requirement is that both the numerator and the denominator are integers, positive or negative, and the denominator is not equal to zero.

Answer 2

Weaven,

 

Another way to look at this problem:

 

The product of two rational numbers is another rational number.  When you make a rational number negative, you are multiplying it by -1, and -1 is rational because it equals -1/1, which is a ratio of integers.  So the product of -1 and a rational number is a rational number.

 

If you are not sure whether the product of two rational numbers is rational, consider two rational numbers A and B.

 

A = m/n where m and n are integers

B = p/q where p and q are integers

 

AB =(mp)/(nq), and mp and nq are integers, so AB is a ratio of integers, and hence rational.  Apply this to A = -1/1 and B = any rational number.