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Which of the following numbers is both a whole number and a natural number?

  1. 0

  2. -1

  3. 5

  4. 3.14

The correct answer is: 5

The number that qualifies as both a whole number and a natural number is 5. Natural numbers are defined as the set of positive integers starting from 1 and going upwards, which means they include numbers like 1, 2, 3, and so forth. Whole numbers expand upon this definition by including zero along with all natural numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, and so on. Since 5 is a positive integer, it fits both criteria as a natural number and a whole number. It is important to note that zero, while a whole number, is not classified as a natural number according to standard definitions. Negative numbers, such as -1, do not fall within the natural or whole number categories. Lastly, 3.14 is a decimal number and also does not fit into the whole or natural number categories since both classifications consist of integers.