1. The problem asks to identify which set best describes the number of tickets sold at a basketball game. 2. Important to note: The number of tickets sold is a count of discrete items, so it must be a whole number. 3. Let's review the sets: - Whole numbers: $\{0, 1, 2, 3, \ldots\}$, non-negative integers. - Integers: $\{\ldots, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, \ldots\}$, including negatives. - Real numbers: All rational and irrational numbers. - Irrational numbers: Numbers that cannot be expressed as a ratio of integers. 4. Since tickets sold cannot be negative, the set of integers is too broad. 5. Tickets sold must be a whole number (0 or positive integer). 6. Therefore, the best set describing the number of tickets sold is the set of whole numbers. Final answer: **whole**