Rational numbers are numbers that can be expressed as the quotient or fraction of two integers, where the denominator is not zero. This means any number that can be written as a/b, where a and b are integers and b ≠ 0, is considered rational. For example, 1/2, 5, and -3.75 are all rational numbers.
On the other hand, irrational numbers cannot be expressed as a simple fraction. They are numbers that have non-repeating, non-terminating decimal expansions. Popular examples of irrational numbers include π (pi) and √2. These cannot be precisely written as a fraction of two integers, making them fundamentally different from rational numbers.
In summary, the key difference lies in their representation: rational numbers can be written as fractions, while irrational numbers cannot be expressed in such a way.