Whole numbers, fractions, and decimals are all terms used in the realm of mathematics to describe different types of numbers. While ‘whole number’ is a term that specifically refers to non-negative integers (like 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.), ‘fraction’ represents a part of a whole, such as 1/2 or 3/4, and ‘decimal’ conveys numbers in a base-10 format, like 0.5 or 2.75.
All of these number types are part of the broader category known as ‘real numbers’. Real numbers encompass all the values that can represent a distance along a number line, including rational numbers (like fractions and whole numbers) and irrational numbers (like the square root of 2 or pi).
So, to summarize, while ‘whole numbers’, ‘fractions’, and ‘decimals’ each have their specific definitions, they all fall under the umbrella of ‘real numbers’, which is the term that connects them together.