Grade 9 Number & Quantity Practice — Hard

Question 1 of 27Score 0/0Hard

Question 1 of 27: Is the product of two irrational numbers always irrational?

More Grade 9 practice

Keep going: Read the lesson: The Real Number System
Answer key for parents & teachers (27 questions)
  1. Is the product of two irrational numbers always irrational? — No — √2 × √2 = 2 is rational. √2 × √2 = 2, which is rational. So the product of two irrationals is not always irrational.
  2. Which set is CLOSED under subtraction (subtracting always stays in the set)? — Integers. Integers are closed under subtraction: integer − integer = integer. Natural and whole numbers fail (e.g., 3−5 = −2 is not natural/whole). Irrationals fail (√2 − √2 = 0, which is rational).
  3. A student claims that between any two rational numbers there is always an irrational number. Is this true? — True — irrationals are dense in the reals too. Between any two rationals there are infinitely many irrationals (and vice versa). Both rationals and irrationals are dense in the reals.
  4. If a is rational and b is irrational, what can you say about a/b? — Always irrational (unless a = 0). If a ≠ 0, then a/b is irrational. If a = 0, then 0/b = 0, which is rational. So: irrational unless a = 0.
  5. Classify: the square root of a perfect square integer is always a(n): — Integer. Perfect squares (1, 4, 9, 16, …) have integer square roots (1, 2, 3, 4, …). Their roots are integers — the most specific classification.
  6. Which is larger: √2 + √3 or √5? — √2 + √3. √2 ≈ 1.414, √3 ≈ 1.732, sum ≈ 3.146. √5 ≈ 2.236. So √2 + √3 > √5. Note: (√2 + √3)² = 5 + 2√6 > 5 = (√5)².
  7. Is 0.101001000100001... (a non-repeating pattern) rational or irrational? — Irrational, because it neither terminates nor repeats. For a decimal to be rational it must terminate OR repeat (a fixed block cycles). This decimal has a pattern but is NOT repeating — the 1s occur after increasing gaps. It is irrational.
  8. How many irrational numbers are there between 1 and 2? — Infinitely many. There are infinitely many (in fact uncountably infinitely many) irrationals between any two real numbers.
  9. Which operation on two irrational numbers can yield a rational result? — Both addition and multiplication. Addition: √2 + (−√2) = 0 (rational). Multiplication: √2 × √2 = 2 (rational). Both operations can yield rational results.
  10. The number e ≈ 2.71828... is: — Irrational and transcendental. e (Euler's number) is irrational (non-terminating, non-repeating) and transcendental (not a root of any polynomial with integer coefficients).
  11. If x is irrational, is x² always irrational? — No — (√3)² = 3 is rational. (√3)² = 3, which is rational. Squaring an irrational number can produce a rational result.
  12. Solve for x: x^(3/2) = 27. — x = 9. x^(3/2) = 27. Raise both sides to the 2/3 power: x = 27^(2/3) = (∛27)² = 3² = 9.
  13. Simplify: x^(2/3) ÷ x^(1/6). — x^(1/2). Quotient rule: subtract exponents. 2/3 − 1/6 = 4/6 − 1/6 = 3/6 = 1/2. Answer: x^(1/2) = √x.
  14. If 2^x = 8, express x as a rational exponent relationship. — x = log₂8 = 3. 2^x = 8 = 2³ → x = 3. This is equivalent to log₂8 = 3. Rational exponents and logarithms are closely connected.
  15. Evaluate (−27)^(2/3). — 9. (−27)^(2/3) = ((−27)^(1/3))² = (−3)² = 9. The cube root of −27 is −3, and (−3)² = 9.
  16. Which is larger: 4^(3/2) or 8^(2/3)? — 4^(3/2) = 8 is larger. 4^(3/2) = (√4)³ = 2³ = 8. 8^(2/3) = (∛8)² = 2² = 4. So 8 > 4, meaning 4^(3/2) is larger.
  17. Simplify: (8x^6)^(1/3). — 2x². (8x⁶)^(1/3) = 8^(1/3) · (x⁶)^(1/3) = 2 · x² = 2x². Note: 8^(1/3)=2 and (x⁶)^(1/3)=x^(6/3)=x².
  18. Solve: x^(2/3) = 4. — x = ±8. Raise both sides to 3/2: x = ±4^(3/2) = ±(√4)³ = ±8. Since x^(2/3) is defined for negative x (cube root, then square), both ±8 are solutions.
  19. Simplify: (a^(1/2) · b^(1/3))^6. — a³b². (a^(1/2))^6 · (b^(1/3))^6 = a^(6/2) · b^(6/3) = a³ · b². Answer: a³b².
  20. What is the multiplicative inverse of i? — −i. i · (−i) = −i² = −(−1) = 1. So 1/i = −i. We say the multiplicative inverse of i is −i.
  21. Simplify √(−4) · √(−9). — −6. √(−4) · √(−9) = 2i · 3i = 6i² = 6(−1) = −6. WARNING: √(a)·√(b) = √(ab) only when a,b ≥ 0.
  22. What is i^(4k+3) for any positive integer k? — −i. 4k+3 divided by 4 has remainder 3. Remainder 3 always gives −i.
  23. Compute i^50 + i^51. — −1−i. i^50: 50÷4 rem 2 → i²=−1. i^51: 51÷4 rem 3 → i³=−i. Sum: −1+(−i) = −1−i.
  24. (3 + 2i)(3 − 2i) equals: — 13. (a+bi)(a−bi) = a² + b² (the imaginary parts cancel). 3² + 2² = 9 + 4 = 13.
  25. What type of number is a + bi where a ≠ 0 and b ≠ 0? — Complex (with real and imaginary parts). A number of the form a + bi with both a ≠ 0 and b ≠ 0 is a complex number that is neither purely real nor purely imaginary.
  26. Is every real number also a complex number? — Yes — a real number a = a + 0i is complex. Complex numbers a + bi include all reals (when b = 0). Real numbers are a special case of complex numbers.
  27. Simplify: 1/i. — −i. 1/i = 1/i × (i/i) — wait, multiply numerator and denominator by i: i/i² = i/(−1) = −i.