Question

Is zero a rational number? Can you write it in the form of $\dfrac{p}{q}$, where p and q are integers and $q \ne 0$?

Answer 1

Hint: Try writing various fractions such that 0 is in the numerator and it is divided by some integer q such that $q \ne 0$. If all such numbers exist then zero is a rational number.

Complete step-by-step answer:
As we know a rational number is a number which is represented in the form of $\dfrac{a}{b}$ , where $b \ne 0$ and a and b has not any common factors except 1.
Then it can be represented as a fraction of two integers.
For example $\dfrac{{10}}{{15}}$
As we see this a fraction but not written in lowest form of fraction so first convert this fraction into lowest form of fraction.
$ \Rightarrow \dfrac{{10}}{{15}} = \dfrac{{2 \times 5}}{{3 \times 5}}$
Now cancel out the common terms we have,
$ \Rightarrow \dfrac{{10}}{{15}} = \dfrac{2}{3}$
So this fraction converts into a rational number where ($3 \ne 0$) and has no common factors except 1.
Now consider the given number zero (0).
As we know 0 is an integer.
So when we divide 0 by any integer except itself the value is 0.
So 0 is written as $\dfrac{0}{q} = \dfrac{p}{q}$ where p and q both are integers and (P = 0, $q \ne 0$) and it is written in lowest form of fraction (i.e. it has no common factors except 1).
Therefore 0 is a rational number.

Note: In the definition of rational numbers such that $\dfrac{p}{q},q \ne 0$. It is defined that q should not be equal to zero because if it is not so that we can have a fraction of the form finite divided by 0, which will be nothing but not-denied. Hence this condition is imposed to take into consideration only defined fractions.