Yes, every negative number is a rational number. By definition, a rational number is any number that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction of two integers, where the denominator is not zero.
For instance, the negative number -3 can be expressed as -3/1, which satisfies the definition of a rational number. Similarly, -4.5 can be expressed as -9/2. Since we can represent any negative integer or negative fraction in this form, it follows that all negative numbers are indeed rational.
It’s important to note that while all negative numbers are rational, not all rational numbers are negative. Rational numbers can be positive or negative, including zero. Therefore, negative numbers form part of the broader category of rational numbers.