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An irrational number is best defined as a decimal which has digits that do not repeat or terminate. This means that the decimal representation of an irrational number goes on forever without showing a pattern or repeating sequence of digits.
For example, the square root of 2 (√2) is an irrational number. When you calculate √2, the decimal representation goes on indefinitely without repeating or terminating. This non-repeating, non-terminating nature distinguishes irrational numbers from rational numbers.
In contrast, a rational number is a number that can be expressed as a fraction, where the numerator and denominator are integers and the denominator is not zero. Rational numbers have decimal representations that either terminate (like 0.5) or repeat (like 0.333...).
I hope this explanation helps clarify the concept of irrational numbers for you. Feel free to ask if you have any more questions!