FTCE General Knowledge Math Practice Test

Rational square roots are characterized by being expressible as fractions, which is why the correct answer addresses this property. Specifically, a rational number is one that can be represented as the quotient of two integers, where the denominator is not zero. Therefore, a square root of a number is considered rational if the original number is a perfect square (like 1, 4, 9, etc.), because the square roots of these numbers can be expressed as integers, which are also a type of fraction (e.g., 2 can be expressed as 2/1). Other options do not hold as general characteristics of rational square roots. For instance, while square roots of positive numbers can be positive or whole, they cannot be negative, ruling out that possibility as a characteristic. Additionally, rational square roots are not restricted to being whole numbers; they can include fractions as well. Lastly, rational square roots can exceed one, particularly for perfect squares greater than one, making an assertion that they are always less than one invalid. Thus, the defining quality is indeed their ability to be expressed as fractions.