Before getting into the Difference Between Natural and Whole Numbers as well as the Difference Between Fractions and Rational Numbers, Let’s understand each of them in detail.
Table of Contents
Natural Numbers
Natural numbers are the set of positive integers ranging from 1 to and excluding fractional and decimal values. Natural numbers are sometimes known as counting numbers (Natural Numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,…….,∞)
Natural numbers are numbers that can be used to count tangible objects. They begin with 1 and go indefinitely. The sign N represents natural numbers. Natural numbers are subsets of real numbers. As a result, we can state that every natural number is also a real number. Natural numbers such as 32, 45, 1, and 28 are examples.
Whole Numbers
Whole numbers are the set of positive integers that contain 0 and do not include fractional or decimal numbers (Whole Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,…….,∞). In general, all natural numbers and integer zero are whole numbers. The smallest whole number is zero. Whole numbers include positive integers and natural numbers. For example, the numbers 0, 85, 57, and 27 are all whole numbers.
Difference Between Natural Numbers and Whole Numbers
The following points listed below show the Difference Between Natural and Whole Numbers.
- Natural numbers do not include zero, and number counting begins with 1 (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.), but whole numbers include zero, and the series of whole numbers begin with zero (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, etc).
- One is the smallest natural number, whereas zero is the smallest whole number.
- The letter “N” represents natural numbers, while the letter “W” represents whole numbers.
- All natural numbers are whole numbers, but not all whole numbers are natural numbers because zero is not a natural number.
Fraction
A fraction, often known as a fractional number, is a number in the form p/q, where p and q are whole numbers and q is not equal to zero (0). It denotes a portion of a whole or any number of equal portions. It can alternatively be defined as the ratio of two integers, where the upper number (numerator) indicates the number of equal parts into which the whole is divided and the lower number (denominator) indicates the number of equal parts into which the whole is divided.
A fraction, in other words, is a divisional expression in which the divisor and dividend are integers and the divisor is not equal to zero. Fractional Numbers are represented by fractions such as 3/5, 9/6, 8/4, and so on.
Rational Numbers
Rational numbers are ones in the form a/b, where a and b are integers and b is not equal to zero (0). It can also be stated as an integer ratio, that is, as a fraction of two integers with the upper value as the numerator and the lower number as the non-zero denominator. All numbers are Rational Numbers because the denominator can be equal to 1. Several floating-point numbers can also be expressed as fractions. As a result, they are also Rational Numbers. For example, 1.5 can be written as 3/2, 6/4, 9/6, and more. As a result, it is a rational number.
Difference Between Fraction and Rational Numbers
| Rational Number | Fraction |
| A rational number is written in the form of p/q, where p and q are integers, and q≠0. For example, 4/5, -7/9, etc. | A fraction can be written in the form of a/b, where a and b are natural numbers, and b≠0. For example, 11/2, 3/-4, etc. |
| Every rational number is not a fraction since negative values, such as − 2/3, don’t fit in the definition of fractions. | Fractions are all rational numbers since they are always the ratio of positive integers, such as 3/5. |
| A rational number might be positive or negative. For instance, 11/27, -13/15. | A fraction is always positive. For instance, 3/4. |