What is the outcome when a rational number is multiplied by another rational number?

When a rational number is multiplied by another rational number, the outcome is always a rational number. By definition, rational numbers are any numbers that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers, where the denominator is not zero. This means that if you take two rational numbers, such as ( \frac{a}{b} ) and ( \frac{c}{d} ), their product can be expressed as:

[ \frac{a \times c}{b \times d}

]

Since the product of integers (the numerator) and the product of non-zero integers (the denominator) are still integers, the resulting fraction is also a rational number.

This property holds true regardless of the specific rational numbers you use, as long as none of the denominators are zero. Therefore, the multiplication of two rational numbers will consistently result in another rational number, confirming that the correct answer is that the outcome is always a rational number.