Introduction to Radicals

Radical Expressions
Finding a root of a number is the inverse operation of raising
a number to a power.
radical sign
index
n radicand
a

This symbol is the radical or the radical sign

The expression under the radical sign is the radicand.

The index defines the root to be taken.
 Introduction to Radicals
Square Roots
A square root of any positive number has two roots – one is
positive and the other is negative.

If a is a positive number, then

a is the positive square root of a and

 a is the negative square root of a.

Examples:
100  10  36  6 1 1
25 5
 0.81   0.9  9  non-real #
49 7
 Introduction to Radicals
What does the following symbol represent?

The symbol represents the positive or

principal root of a number.

What does the following symbol represent?


The symbol represents the negative root of
a number.
 Introduction to Radicals

What is the radicand of the expression 4 5xy ?

5xy

What is the index of the expression 3

5x 2 y5 ?
3
 Introduction to Radicals
Cube Roots
3
a
A cube root of any positive number is positive.
A cube root of any negative number is negative.

Examples:
3
27  3 3
8  2 3
125

5
64 4
3
 27   3 3
8 2
 Introduction to Radicals
nth Roots
An nth root of any number a is a number whose nth power is a.

n
a  b only if b  a n

Examples:
3  81
4 4
81  3

2  16
4 4
16  2

 2   32
5
5
32  2
 Introduction to Radicals
nth Roots
An nth root of any number a is a number whose nth power is a.
Examples:
5
1  1

4
16  Non-real number

6
1  Non-real number

3
27  3
 Introduction to Radicals
Radicals with Variables

x 
6 2
 x
12
y  3 5
 y 15
x y 
3 7 3
 x9 y 21

x  x
12 6 5
y 15
 y 3 3 9
x y 21
 x y 3 7

Examples:

z8  z 4 x  x
20 10
4x  2x
6 3

3
8y 12
 2y 4 3
64x y
9 24
 4x y 3 8
 Simplifying Radicals
Simplifying Radicals using the Product Rule
Product Rule for Square Roots
If a and b are real numbers, then a  b  a  b
Examples:

40  4 10  4  10  2 10

18  9  2  9 2  3 2

700  100  7  10 7

7 75  7 25  3  7  5 3  35 3 15  15
 Simplifying Radicals
Simplifying Radicals using the Quotient Rule
Quotient Rule for Square Roots
a a
If a and b are real numbers and b  0, then 
b b
Examples:
16 16 4 2 2 2
   
81 81 9 25 25 5

45 45 95 3 5
  
49 49 7 7
 Simplifying Radicals
Simplifying Radicals Containing Variables
Examples:
x 
11
x x 
10
x5 x

18x  9  2x  3x
4 4 2
2

27 27 93 3 3
8
   4
8
x x 8
x x

7y7
7y 7
7 y y 6
y3 7 y
  
25 25 25 5
 Simplifying Radicals
Simplifying Cube Roots
Examples:
3
88  3
8 11  2 3 11

3
50  3
50

3 3
10 10 10
3  3

27 27 3

81 3
81 3
27  3 33 3
3  3
 
8 8 2 2
 Simplifying Radicals
Examples:

3
27m n 
3 7

3 3 m3n6 n 
23
3mn n
 Simplifying Radicals
Examples:
5
64x y z 
12 4 18

5
32  2x10 x 2 y 4 z15 z 3 

2 x2 z3 5 2 x2 y 4 z3
 Adding and Subtracting Radicals

Rules in the previous section allowed us to

split radicals that had a radicand which was a
product or a quotient.
We can NOT split sums or differences.

ab  a  b
a b  a  b
 Adding and Subtracting Radicals
Review and Examples:
5x  3x  8x
12 y  7 y  5y
we can work with the concept of “like” radicals to combine radicals
with the same radicand.
Like radicals are radicals with the same index and the same radicand.
Like radicals can also be combined with addition or subtraction by
using the distributive property.

6 11  9 11  15 11

7  3 7  2 7
 Adding and Subtracting Radicals
Simplifying Radicals Prior to Adding or Subtracting

27  75  9  3  25  3  3 3  5 3  8 3

3 20  7 45  3 4  5  7 9  5  3  2 5  7  3 5 
6 5  21 5  15 5

36  48  4 3  9  6  16  3  4 3  3 
6 4 3  4 3 3  38 3
 Adding and Subtracting Radicals
Simplifying Radicals Prior to Adding or Subtracting

9 x4  36 x3  x3  3x 2  6 x 2 x  x 2 x 

3x  6 x x  x x  3x  5 x x
2 2

10 3 81 p 6  3 24 p 6  10 3 27  3 p 6  3 8  3 p 6 

10  3 p 23
3 2p 23
3 30 p 23
3 2p 23
3
23
28 p 3
Multiplying and Dividing Radical Expressions

n
If a and n b are real numbers,
n
a  n b  n ab
n
a n a
n
 if b  0
b b
Multiplying and Dividing Radical Expressions

Example
Simplify the following radical expressions.

3 y  5x  15 xy
7 6 7 6
ab ab
 3 2
 ab  ab
4 4 2 2
3 2
ab ab
 Rationalizing the Denominator
Many times it is helpful to rewrite a radical quotient
with the radical confined to ONLY the numerator.
If we rewrite the expression so that there is no
radical in the denominator, it is called rationalizing
the denominator.
This process involves multiplying the quotient by a
form of 1 that will eliminate the radical in the
denominator.
 Rationalizing the Denominator
Example
Rationalize the denominator.

3 2 3 2 6
  
2 2 2 2 2

6 33 63 3 63 3 3
6 3
     2 3
3
3
9 3
3 3
9 3
3 3
27 3
 Conjugates
Many rational quotients have a sum or
difference of terms in a denominator, rather
than a single radical.
In that case, we need to multiply by the
conjugate of the numerator or denominator
(which ever one we are rationalizing).
The conjugate uses the same terms, but the
opposite operation (+ or ).
 Rationalizing the Denominator
Example
Rationalize the denominator.
32 2 3 3  2 3 2 2  2 3
  
2 3 2  3 2 2  3  2  3 3
6 3 2 2  2 3

23
6 3 2 2  2 3

1
 6 3 2 2  2 3