Rational Numbers A rational number is a number that can be written as a ratio. That means it can be written as a fraction, in which both the numerator (the number on top) and the denominator (the number on the bottom) are whole numbers.
The number 8 is a rational number because it can be written as the fraction 8/1. Likewise, 3/4 is a rational number because it can be written as a fraction. Even a big, clunky fraction like 7,324,908/56,003,492 is rational, simply because it can be written as a fraction. Every whole number is a rational number, because any whole number can be written as a fraction. For example, 4 can be written as 4/1, 65 can be written as 65/1, and 3,867 can be written as 3,867/1.
