5.

6 Simplifying Radicals
 Definitions
A perfect square is the square of a natural
number. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, and 36 are the first
six perfect squares.

A perfect cube is the cube of a natural

number. 1, 8, 27, 64, 125, and 216 are the
first six perfect cubes.
 Perfect Powers
This idea can be expanded to perfect powers
of a variable for any radicand.
The radicand xn is a perfect power when n is
a multiple of the index of the radicand.
A quick way to determine if a radicand xn is a
perfect power for an index is to determine if
the exponent n is divisible by the index of the
radical.
Example: 5 x 20 Since the exponent, 20, is divisible by
the index, 5, x20 is a perfect fifth power.
 Product Rule for Radicals

For nonnegativ e real numbers a and b,

n
a  b  ab
n n

Examples:
3
32  3
8 4 2 4
3 3

3
 250  3  125 3 2  53 2
4
48  4 16 4 3  24 3
 Product Rule for Radicals
To Simplify Radicals Using the Product Rule
1. If the radicand contains a coefficient other than 1, write it
as a product of the two numbers, one of which is the largest
perfect power for the index.
2. Write each variable factor as a product of two factors, one
of which is the largest perfect power of the variable for the
index.
3. Use the product rule to write the radical expression as a
product of radicals. Place all the perfect powers under the
same radical.
4. Simplify the radical containing the perfect powers.
 Product Rule for Radicals
Examples:
72  36  2  36 2  6 2
4
b23  4 b20b3  4 b20 4 b3  b5 4 b3
3
16 x y  8 x y
3 6 3 3 63
2  2 xy 23
2

 32 x y
4 18 31
  16 x y
4 16 28 4 2
2x y 3

 2 x 4 y 7 4 2 x 2 y 3 *When the radical is simplified, the

radicand does not have a variable with
an exponent greater than or equal to
the index.
Quotient Rule for Radicals

For nonnegativ e real numbers a and b,

n
a n a
n
 , b0
b b
Examples:
81 81 9
 
100 100 10
75 25
 Simplify radicand, if possible.  25  5
3 1
 Quotient Rule for Radicals

More Examples:
64 x 6 3
64 x 6 4x2
3
12
  4
y 3
y12 y

64 x 5 64 x 5 32 x 2 16 x 2 2
 3
   4x 2
2x 3 2x 1 1

3a 6b5 3a 8 4
3a 8 4
a8 4 3 a2 4 3
4
 2 13
 4
8
  
16a b 16b 4
16b 8 4
16b8 2b 2
Adding, Subtracting,
and Multiplying
Radicals
 Like Radicals

Like radicals are radicals having the same

radicands. They are added the same way
like terms are added.

Example:
54 2  44 2  94 2
3 xyz  10 xyz  5 xyz  8 xyz
2 2 2 2

65 7  75 6 Cannot be simplified further.

 Adding & Subtracting
To Add or Subtract Radicals
1. Simplify each radical expression.
2. Combine like radicals (if there are any).

Examples:
3 250  5 160  3  25 10  5  16 10 
3  5 10  5  4 10  15 10  20 10  35 10
3 y 4 48 x 5  x 4 3x 5 y 4  3 y 4 16 x 4 4 3x  x 4 x 4 y 4 4 3x 
3 y  2 x 4 3x  x  xy4 3x  6 xy4 3x  x 2 y 4 3x 
 4 3x (6 xy  x 2 y )
 CAUTION!

The product rule does not apply to

addition or subtraction!

a  b  a b 

a  b  ab
 Multiplying Radicals
Multiply:
3( 5  x )  3 5  3 x

(8  5 )(6  2 )  Use the FOIL method.

48  8 2  6 5  10

( 3  6)( 3  6)   3  6
2
3  6 3  36 
3  36  33 Notice that the inner and outer terms cancel.
 Multiplying Radicals

More Examples:

3
23 4  3 8  2

3 y ( 27 y 2  y )  81y 3  3 y 2  9 y y  y 3

5
x 24 y 30 z 9 5 x13 y 8 z 7  5 x 37 y 38 z16 
5
x 35 y 35 z15 5 x 2 y 3 z  x 7 y 7 z 3 5 x 2 y 3 z
Dividing Radicals
 Rationalizing Denominators
To Rationalize a Denominator
Multiply both the numerator and the denominator of the fraction
by a radical that will result in the radicand in the denominator
becoming a perfect power.

Examples: 2 2 3 6
   Cannot be simplified further.
3 3 3 3
x2 x2 y3 x 2 y 3 xy y x y
3
   3
 3
 2
y y 3
y 3 y y y

5 pq 4 5 pq 4 2r 10 pq 4 r 10 pq 4 r q 2 10 pr
    
2r 2r 2r 2r 2r 2r
 Conjugates
When the denominator of a rational expression is a
binomial that contains a radical, the denominator is
rationalized. This is done by using the conjugate of
the denominator. The conjugate of a binomial is a
binomial having the same two terms with the sign
of the second term changed.

The conjugate of 5  6 is 5  6

The conjugate of 3x  4 2 y is 3x  4 2 y
 Simplifying Radicals

Simplify by rationalizing the denominator:

5 5 2  1 5( 2  1)
  
2 1 2  1 2 1 2 1

c  2d c  2d c d
  
c d c d c d
( c  2d )( c  d ) c  cd  2cd  d 2

( c  d )( c  d ) cd
 Simplifying Radicals

A Radical Expression is Simplified When the Following

Are All True
1. No perfect powers are factors of the radicand and all
exponents in the radicand are less than the index.
2. No radicand contains a fraction.
3. No denominator contains a radical.
 Simplifying Radicals
Simplify:
1 3 1 3 3 3 3 2 3
      
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

8 100 8 3 100 6 24 600 4 6 100 6

2 4 2  4   2 4  4  4 
3 6 3 3 6 6 3 6 6 6
2 6 10 6 8 6 40 6 32 6 16 6
4 4    
6 6 6 6 6 3

6
( r  3)5 ( r  3)5 6 ( 5 6 ) ( 5 3 ) ( 5 6 )(10 6 ) 5 6
  ( r  3)  ( r  3)  ( r  3) 
3
( r  3) 5 ( r  3) 53
1
(r  3)5 6
Rational Exponents
 Changing a Radical Expression

A radical expression can be written using exponents

by using the following procedure:

1
n
a a n

When a is nonnegative, n can be any index.

When a is negative, n must be odd.
1
7 7 2

3
x y x y
4
  4 13

9
3x  7 z 4
 3x  7 z  4 19
Changing a Radical Expression

1
n
a a n

When a is nonnegative, n can be any index.

When a is negative, n must be odd.

Exponential expressions can be converted to

radical expressions by reversing the procedure.
151 2  15
b1 3  3 b
Simplifying Radical Expressions

This rule can be expanded so that radicals of the

form n a m can be written as exponential expressions.
For any nonnegative number a, and integers m and n,
Power

n
a  m
 a
n
m
 am n Index

b2 3  3 b2
8x 2
9y 73
  8x
3 2
9y 
7
 Rules of Exponents
The rules of exponents from Section 5.1 also apply
when the exponents are rational numbers.

For all real numbers a and b and all rational numbers m and
n,

Product rule: am • an = am + n
am mn
n
 a , a0
a
Quotient rule:
m 1
a  m , a0
a
Negative exponent rule:
 Rules of Exponents

For all real numbers a and b and all rational numbers m and
n,

Zero exponent rule: a0 = 1, a 0

a 
m n
 a m n
Raising a power to a power:
ab m  a m b m
Raising a product to a power : m
a am
   m , b0
Raising a quotient to a power : b  b
 Rules of Exponents
Examples:
1.) Simplify x-1/2x-2/5.
1 2 2 5 -1 2   2 5  5 10   4 10  9 10 1
x x x x x 
x 9 10
2.) Simplify (y-4/5)1/3.
y  4 5 1 3
 y 4 5 1 3  y 4 15 
1
y 4 15
3.) Multiply –3a-4/9(2a1/9 – a2).
6
 6a  4 9  1 9   3a  4 9  2  6a 3 9  3a14 9    3a 14 9

a1 3
 Factoring Expressions
Examples:
1.) Factor x1/4 – x5/4. The smallest of the two exponents is 1/4.
x1/4 – x5/4 = x1/4 (1 – x5/4-(1/4)) = x1/4 (1 – x4/4) = x1/4 (1 – x)
Original Exponent
exponent factored out

2.) Factor x-1/2 + x1/2. The smallest of the two exponents is -1/2.
-1/2 1/2 -1/2 1/2-(-1/2) -1/2
1 x
x + x = x (1– x ) = x (1– x) = 1 2
x
Original Exponent
exponent factored out
Solving Radical
Equations
 Radical Equations
A radical equation is an equation that
contains a variable in a radicand.
x 9 x  2  17 3y  4  y  2

To solve radical equations such as these,

both sides of the equation are squared.
x  2  17 3y  4  y  2
x 9
   
3 y  4   y  2
2

 x
2
2
2
9 2 x  2  17 2
3y  4  y2  4 y  4
x  81 x  2  289
0  y2  7 y
x  291 0  y ( y  7) y  0 ; y  7
 Extraneous Roots
In the previous example, an extraneous root
was obtained when both sides were squared. An
extraneous root is not a solution to the original
equation. Always check all of your solutions into
the original equation.
y  0; y  7
Check: Check:
y=7 3y  4  y  2 y=0 3y  4  y  2
3 7  4  7  2 3 0  4  0  2
21  4  5 4  2
25  5  FALSE!
 Two Square Root Terms
To solve equations with two square root terms,
rewrite the equation, if necessary so that there
is only one term containing a square root on
each side of the equation.
Solve the equation:
Check:
2c  5  c  2 2(7)  5  7  2
c=7
  
2
2c  5  c2 
2
14  5  9
2c  5  c  2 9 9
c7 33 
 Nonradical Terms
Solve the equation:
b  3  4  2b  1 Check:
  
2
b  3  4  2b  1 2
b = 84 b  3  4  2b  1
b  3  16  8 2b  1  2b  1 84  3  4  2  84  1
81  4  169
 b  20  8 2b  1
9  4 13
 b  20 2

  8 2b  1 
2

9  9
b 2  40b  400  64(2b  1) Not a solution.

b 2  40b  400  128b  64 b=4 4  3  4  2  4 1

b 2  88b  336  0 1  4 9
(b  84)(b  4)  0 1 43
b  84, b  4 11 
 Summary
To Solve Radical Equations
1. Rewrite the equation so that one radical containing a
variable is isolated on one side of the equation.
2. Raise each side of the equation to a power equal to the
index of the radical.
3. Combine like terms.
4. If the equation still contains a term with a variable in a
radicand, repeat steps 1 through 3.
5. Solve the resulting equation for the variable.
6. Check all solutions in the original equation for extraneous
solutions.