Unit I.

Integer and
Rational Exponents
ENGR. ANNALYN D. SORIA
LECTURER
Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this Unit you will be able to:
1. Carry out the basic rules of arithmetic with integers
2. Manipulate fractions, ratios and percentages
3. Manipulate powers
What are numbers in Math ?
• A number is a mathematical tool which is used in counting individual quantities, calculating
and quantifying. 
Types of Numbers:
1. Natural Numbers
The first numbers we ever meet are the whole numbers. These, together with zero, are called
the natural numbers, and are written down using numerals.
Natural numbers are counting numbers. = {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…}.
Whole Numbers are natural numbers and zero.
Types of Numbers
Numerals and place value
 The natural numbers are written using the ten numerals 0, 1, ..., 9 where the position of a
numeral dictates the value that it represents. For example:
  246 stands for 2 hundreds and 4 tens and 6 units. That is 200 + 40 + 6
Place value principle
The numerals 2, 4 and 6 are called the hundreds, tens and unit coefficients respectively
The natural numbers can be represented by equally spaced points on a straight line where the
first natural number is zero 0.  
The natural numbers are ordered – they progress from small to large. As we move along the line
from left to right the numbers increase as indicated by the arrow at the end of the line. On the
line, numbers to the left of a given number are less than (<) the given number and numbers to
the right are greater than (>) the given number.
◦ For example, 8 > 5 because 8 is represented by a point on the line to the right of 5. Similarly, 3 < 6
because 3 is to the left of 6.

2. Integers
If the straight line displaying the natural numbers is extended to the left, we can plot equally
spaced points to the left of zero.
These points represent negative numbers which are written as the natural number preceded by
a minus sign, for example 4. These positive and negative whole numbers and zero are
collectively called the integers. The notion of order still applies.
For example, -5 < -3 and -2 > -4 because the point on the line representing -5 is to the left of the
point representing -3. Similarly, -2 is to the right of -4.
Example: The following numbers 10, -4, 0,-13 are of a type called…

◦ INTEGERS
Exercise:
Place the appropriate symbol < or > between each of the following pairs of numbers:
(a) -3 -6 answer: _____
-3 > -6
(b) 2 -4 answer: _____
2 > -4
(c) 7 12 answer: ______
7 < 12
Addition and subtraction
Adding two numbers gives their sum and subtracting two numbers gives their difference.
For example, 6 + 2 = 8. Adding moves to the right of the first number and subtracting moves to
the left of the first number, so that 6 - 2 = 4 and 4 - 6 = -2
Adding a negative number is the same as subtracting its positive counterpart.
  For example, 7 + (-2) = 7 – 2 = 5.
 Subtracting a negative number is the same as adding its positive counterpart.
  For example 7 – (-2) = 7 + 2 = 9.
 
So what is the value of:
(a) 8 + (-3) = _______
=5
(b) 9 – (-6) = ______
= 15
(c) (-4) + (-8) = _____
= -12
(d) (-14)-(-7) = _____
= -7
 
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION
 Multiplying two numbers gives their product and dividing two numbers gives their quotient.
Multiplying and dividing two positive or two negative numbers gives a positive number. For
example:
12 x 2 = 24 and (-12) x (-2) = 24
12 ÷ 2 = 6 and (-12) ÷ (-2) = 6
Multiplying or dividing a positive number by a negative number gives a negative number. For
example:
  12 x (-2) = -24; (-12) 2 = -6 and 8 (-4) = -2
 So what is the value of:
a) (-50) x 3 = _______
= -150
b) 12 (-6) = ______
= -2
c) (-2) x (-8) = ______
= 16
d) (-14) (-7) = ______
=2
Parentheses, brackets, and braces
Parentheses, brackets, and braces are ways of separating one part of an expression from
another.
Parentheses ( ) are the curved signs that you might see in text just as much as in mathematics
Brackets look similar but are angular in shape [ ], and Braces are also similar but are curly in
shape { }
These should be used around negative numbers to separate the minus sign attached to the
number from the arithmetic operation symbol.
For example, 5 - -3 should be written 5 – (-3) and 7 x -2 should be written 7 x (-2). Never write
two arithmetic operation symbols together without using brackets.
Order of Operations
The most basic and common reason to use parentheses, brackets, and braces is to control the
order of operations. Order of operations is a method for figuring out which part of a
mathematical expression to complete first.
To remove the ambiguity we rely on the precedence rules:
 In any calculation involving all four arithmetic operations we proceed as follows:
  (a) Working from the left evaluate divisions and multiplications as they are encountered;
this leaves a calculation involving just addition and subtraction.
  (b) Working from the left evaluate additions and subtractions as they are encountered.
Example
 1. Evaluate : _______

2. Evaluate: = _________
=

3. So what is the value of:

= -21
3. Rational, irrational and real
numbers
 A number that can be expressed as a fraction is called a rational number.
An irrational number is one that cannot be expressed as a fraction and has a decimal form
consisting of an infinite string of numerals that does not display a repeating pattern.
As a consequence, it is not possible either to write down the complete decimal form or to devise
an abbreviated decimal format. Instead, we can only round them to a specified number of
significant figures or decimal places. Alternatively, we may have a numeral representation for
them, such as .
The complete collection of rational and irrational numbers is called the collection of real
numbers.
Review summary
1. The integers consist of the positive and negative whole numbers and zero. 16
2. The integers are ordered so that they range from large negative to small negative through zero to small
positive and then large positive. They are written using the ten numerals 0 to 9 according to the principle
of place value where the place of a numeral in a number dictates the value it represents.
3. The integers can be represented by equally spaced points on a line.
4. The four arithmetic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division obey specific
precedence rules that govern the order in which they are to be executed:
In any calculation involving all four arithmetic operations we proceed as follows:
(a) working from the left evaluate divisions and multiplications as they are encountered.
This leaves an expression involving just addition and subtraction:
(b) working from the left evaluate additions and subtractions as they are encountered.
5. Multiplying or dividing two positive numbers or two negative numbers produces a
positive number. Multiplying or dividing a positive number and a negative number
produces a negative number.
6. Brackets are used to group numbers and operations together. In any arithmetic
expression, the contents of brackets are evaluated first.
Fractions, ratios and percentages
A fraction is a number which is represented by one integer – the numerator – divided by
another integer – the denominator (or the divisor).
For example, 3/5 is a fraction with numerator 3 and denominator 5. Because fractions are
written as one integer divided by another – a ratio – they are called rational numbers.
Fractions are either proper, improper or mixed:
in a proper fraction the numerator is less than the denominator, for example, 4/7
in an improper fraction the numerator is greater than the denominator, for example 12/5
a mixed fraction is in the form of an integer and a fraction, for example 6 2/3  
Multiplying fractions
 
 Two fractions are multiplied by multiplying their respective numerators and denominators
independently:
Example:

Equivalent fractions
Multiplying the numerator and denominator by the same number is equivalent to
multiplying the fraction by unity, that is by 1:  
We can reverse this process and find the equivalent fraction that has the smallest
numerator by cancelling out common factors. This is known as reducing the fraction
to its lowest terms. For example:
Dividing fractions
Adding and subtracting fractions
Two fractions can only be added or subtracted immediately if they both possess the same
denominator, in which case we add or subtract the numerators and divide by the common
denominator. For example:

If they do not have the same denominator they must be rewritten in equivalent form so that
they do have the same denominator – called the common denominator. For example:

The common denominator of the equivalent fractions is the LCM of the two original
denominators. That is:
Ratios
 If a whole number is separated into a number of fractional parts where each fraction has the
same denominator, the numerators of the fractions form a ratio. For example, if a quantity of
brine in a tank contains 1/3 salt and 2/3 water, the salt and water are said to be in the ratio ‘one-
to-two’ – written 1:2.

Percentages
 A percentage is a fraction whose denominator is equal to 100. For example, if 5 out of 100
people are left-handed then the fraction of left-handers is 5/100 which is written as 5%, that is 5
per cent (%).
Review summary
1. A fraction is a number represented as one integer (the numerator) divided by another integer
(the denominator or divisor).
2. The same number can be represented by different but equivalent fractions.
3. A fraction with no common factors other than unity in its numerator and denominator is said
to be in its lowest terms.
4. Two fractions are multiplied by multiplying the numerators and denominators independently.
5. Two fractions can only be added or subtracted immediately when their denominators are
equal.
6. A ratio consists of the numerators of fractions with identical denominators.
7. The numerator of a fraction whose denominator is 100 is called a percentage.
Refer to the module (pages: 8 and11)
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