Download Radical Rules Review

Radical Rules Review
Adding and Subtracting Radicals:
as we can add "regular numbers", we can add and subtract square roots. But
* Just
you might
not be able to simplify down to one number like we do with "regular
Just like we can't add or subtract apples
numbers".
to/from oranges
, you can't
add unlike radicals.
Example:
2√3+3√3 =
(2+3)√3=
5√3
*Don't assume
though that expressions with unlike radicals cannot be simplified though.
It is possible
that after we simplify the radicals that the expression can be simplified.
Example:
√25-√9 =
5-3=
2
Multiplying
Radicals:
*When
you multiply radicals, you must not "combine" constants, and square
but you must
multiply square roots by square roots. Here's what this looks like:
Example:
√3(2+√5)=
2√3+√3(√5)=
2√3+√(3)(5)=
2√3+√15
roots,
Dividing Radicals:
*When
you divide radicals, you must work individually with simplifying the
radicals, and then divide them. If you end up with a radical in the denominator of
a fraction, you must rationalize the denominator.
- To rationalize a denominator, you must multiply the whole fraction by
√x/√x where x is the radical that is in the denominator you are attempting to
rationalize.
√8
√2
√4√2
√2
Example:
2√2 (√2)
√2 (√2)
Rationalizing
denominator
(2)(2)
(2)
4
2
2