Question

To which set or sets below does the number -1/2 belong

Answer 1

Answer: set of rational numbers, set of real numbers

Explanation:

The number -1/2 is rational as it is a fraction or ratio of two integers (-1 and 2). We can never have 0 in the denominator. Since it is rational, it means the number is not irrational. Recall that "irrational" means "not rational", so it is the opposite of rational.

-1/2 = -0.5 is not a whole number as it has a fractional or decimal portion. This means -1/2 is not an integer either, nor is it a natural number. The negative portion is another reason to exclude -1/2 from the list of whole numbers and natural numbers.

But we can say that -1/2 = -0.5 is a real number. Any number you encountered so far is a real number until you get to the complex numbers.