Which statement correctly describes an integer?

Which statement correctly describes an integer?

• A. A number that can be negative.
• B. A decimal with a fractional part.
• C. A number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers.
• D. A non-integer.

Answer: (A)

Integers are whole numbers that can be positive, negative, or zero, and they have no fractional part. Because integers include negative values, the statement that a number can be negative captures a true aspect of integers. It doesn’t claim anything about being exclusively negative or about having a fractional part, which keeps it a correct and useful description. The other descriptions either describe numbers with fractional parts (not integers), describe a broader class (rationals) that includes many non-integers, or describe non-integers altogether. So the idea that integers can be negative aligns with a key property of integers and is the best match among the options.

Integers are whole numbers that can be positive, negative, or zero, and they have no fractional part. Because integers include negative values, the statement that a number can be negative captures a true aspect of integers. It doesn’t claim anything about being exclusively negative or about having a fractional part, which keeps it a correct and useful description. The other descriptions either describe numbers with fractional parts (not integers), describe a broader class (rationals) that includes many non-integers, or describe non-integers altogether. So the idea that integers can be negative aligns with a key property of integers and is the best match among the options.