Notes

9.1, 9.4 Roots, Radicals, and Rational Expressions

53=125 5 is the cube root of 125.

24=16 2 is the 4th root of 16.

an= -4 No real nth roots of -4.



Simplify.

! ! !
1) 𝑎 ! 2) 32 3) −125



! ! !
4) 𝑥 ! 5) 81 6) −81

Find the real cube root of each number.

!
7) -27 8) 0.125 9)
!"!





Find all the real 4th roots of the following numbers.

!"#
10) 81 11) -16 12)
!""""




Simplify the following radical expressions:

! !
13) 𝑥 !" 𝑦 !" 14) 𝑎 ! 𝑏 !




! !
15) 16𝑥 ! 16) 0.0016𝑥 !"




Special case for simplifying variables:

Even Index Even Inside Odd Outside – Use absolute value!


! ! !
17) 𝑥 !" 18) 𝑥 ! 𝑦 !" 19) 4𝑥 ! 𝑦 !




Express the following with rational exponents.

! ! !
20) 32𝑥 ! 𝑦 ! 21) 27𝑥 ! 𝑦 ! 22) 16𝑥 !




Rewrite the following in radical form.

! ! ! ! ! !
23) 3! 𝑎 ! 𝑏 ! 24) 2! 𝑎 ! 𝑏 !






Simplify the following. Write in exponential form and radical form.

!
! ! ! ! !!
!
25) (𝑎 𝑏 )(𝑎 𝑏 )
! ! ! ! 26) !
!!



27) 16-2.5 28) (-32)4/5

! !
!/!
29) (−8𝑥 𝑥𝑦) 30) (27 + 27 )!
! !

! !
31) (16 − 27 )!
! !