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### Unit 6: Lesson 2

Whole numbers & integers

# Whole numbers & integers

Walk through the difference between whole numbers & integers. For example, is the number -8 a whole number? Is it an integer?
First we'll learn about whole numbers, then we'll learn about integers, and we'll finish by thinking about whole numbers and integers at the same time.

## Whole numbers

Whole numbers are the numbers starting at 0 and counting up forever:
left brace, 0, comma, 1, comma, 2, comma, 3, comma, 4, comma, 5, comma, 6, comma, 7, comma, 8, comma, 9, comma, 10, comma, 11, point, point, point, right brace
Key idea: Whole numbers don't include negative numbers, fractions, or decimals.
Is 8 a whole number?

Is 9749 a whole number?

Is minus, 5 a whole number?

Is 9, point, 5 a whole number?

Is start fraction, 5, divided by, 7, end fraction a whole number?

Sweet, let's move onto integers.

## Integers

Integers are just like whole numbers, but they also include negative numbers:
left brace, point, point, point, minus, 5, comma, minus, 4, comma, minus, 3, comma, minus, 2, comma, minus, 1, comma, 0, comma, 1, comma, 2, comma, 3, comma, 4, comma, 5, point, point, point, right brace
Key idea: Like whole numbers, integers don't include fractions or decimals.
Is start fraction, 1, divided by, 3, end fraction an integer?

Is 7 an integer?

Is minus, 9 an integer?

Is 8, point, 6 an integer?

Is minus, 8, point, 6 an integer?

Is minus, 947 an integer?

Is minus, start fraction, 1, divided by, 3, end fraction an integer?

Great, now that we've learned both whole numbers and integers, we're ready to classify numbers.

## Classifying numbers

What type of number is minus, 3?
Choose all answers that apply:
Choose all answers that apply:

What type of number is 5, point, 1?
Choose all answers that apply:
Choose all answers that apply:

What type of number is 12?
Choose all answers that apply:
Choose all answers that apply:

## Challenge problem

Choose the statement that best describes the relationship between whole numbers and integers.

## Want to join the conversation?

• why aren't decimals whole numbers?
• Decimals aren't whole numbers because decimals are part of wholes.
• Why are negative numbers not considered whole number, yet are considered integers? And what is the difference between a whole number and an integer? I have only just started to learn the topic, but it helps me to understand why things are how they are. I can not learn when people teach things by answering similar questions with because thats the way it is. Everything has to have reason behind it, or else its just an opinion, and can never be proven as fact. Thank you
• A integer is any number that is not either a decimal or a fraction (however, both 2.000 and 2/2 are integers because they can be simplified into non-decimal and non-fractional numbers), this includes negative numbers. A whole number is any positive number(0 through infinity) (including non-integers)
• Since 0 is whole number would it be an integer?
• That's right! All whole numbers are integers, so since 0 is a whole number, 0 is also an integer.
• so an integer is a negative whole number
• No,integers include all numbers except decimals and fractions
• What is a fraction if it is not an integer or a whole number? And what is a decimal?
• Fractions and decimals are rational numbers, just like integers and whole numbers.

Hope this helps!
• why aren't negative fractions integers
• Because no type of fraction is an integer.
• Is it possible to divide and multiply integers that are negative?