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Rational and Irrational Numbers 22487 Views


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Description:

Don't be so irrational, numbers.

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

Rational and Irrational Numbers, a la Shmoop.

00:07

Welcome, listeners.

00:08

It's time for our weekly radio show: Rational Smashional… [The number 5 talking into a microphone]

00:13

… where we let people know if their numbers... and their problems... are rational or irrational.

00:17

Caller one, you're on the air...

00:18

<> For my movie award party, I have six gelatin molds in the shape [The number six speaking into a mobile phone]

00:24

of Ben Affleck's face.

00:25

But I have eight guests.

00:27

Can I divide them evenly?

00:30

Is this rational?

00:31

Thanks for the question caller 1.

00:33

Although each guest won't get a whole head of Affleck, they can get a fraction of one. [6 Affleck gelatin heads on a blackboard]

00:38

Since you’ve got six molds, you’d divide that number by the number of guests – eight.

00:44

Six divided by eight is the same as the fraction six-eighths.

00:47

So each guest would get six-eighths of Affleck… which can be reduced to three-fourths.

00:52

This may not be a whole number, but it is a rational number: a number that can be written [The number 3 listening to the answer on the phone]

00:56

as the quotient of two integers.

00:59

Next caller, you're on the air.

01:00

I really want bangs like the First Lady. [The number 6 in a rocking chair]

01:04

I would have to grow my hair an additional three inches.

01:07

Is that rational?

01:09

Yes, three is a whole number, and an integer.

01:11

It is totally rational. [5 holding up the answer]

01:13

Okay, but my hairstylist wants to charge me “square root of two” [Number 6 having her hair done]

01:19

dollars for the haircut.

01:22

I don't even know if it’s a deal or not.

01:24

Is that rational?

01:25

We're glad you asked caller 2.

01:27

There is no rational number that, when multiplied by itself, gives us an answer of 2.

01:32

There is no real-world equivalent for square root of two.

01:35

So no…

01:36

That number is irrational… which means it might be time for you to find a new hairstylist.

01:41

Tune in next time when we talk about how leading a life of pi would be irrational… [Thought bubble of the Life of Pi appears]

01:45

…but dividing three pies among four people would be perfectly rational. [4 people behind a table with 3 pies on it]

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