Module 1

Real Number System,

Order of Operations,
Integral Exponents
and Radicals

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
The Real Number System

Real Numbers

Rational Numbers Irrational Numbers

Non Integers Integers

Negative Integers Whole Numbers

Zero Positive Integers

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Definitions:

Real Numbers – All of the numbers that we use in everyday life.

Rational Numbers – Every number that can be expressed as a quotient or ratio of two
integers. The decimal representation of a rational number is either a terminating or
nonterminating – repeating decimal. Examples: 1.25, 2.8, 1.3333 …, and etc.

Irrational Numbers – These are the numbers whose decimal representation is

nonterminating – nonrepeating decimal and cannot be represented as a simple fraction.
Examples:
( ) ( ) ( )

Non Integers – These are numbers written with a fractional component. Note: Fractions
can be proper, improper or mixed. Examples: (Proper Fraction), (Improper Fraction),
(Mixed Fraction)

Integers – These are numbers written without a fractional component. Integers can be
subdivided into two groups; negative integers and whole numbers.

Negative Integers – These are numbers that are negative and doesn’t have a fractional
component. (…,-3,-2,-1)

Whole Numbers – Integers that are not negative. Whole numbers can be subdivided
into two groups; zero and positive integers.

Positive Integers – These numbers are also known as natural or counting numbers.
(1, 2, 3,…)

Zero – A whole number that cannot be counted.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Properties of Real Numbers

For any real numbers a, b, and c

Property Addition Multiplication

Closure

Commutative

Associative ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

Identity

Inverse ( )

Distributive ( ) ( )

Other Properties

For any real numbers a and b

( ) ( )

( ) ( )( )

( )

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Order of Operations on Rational Numbers (PEMDAS)

When simplifying a mathematical expression we need to follow a certain order for

us to arrive at the correct answer. For example, what will be your answer to this
mathematical expression?

If you solve it from left to right your answer will be 3. But is it really the correct
answer? Using PEMDAS the correct answer is 5. So what is PEMDAS?

PEMDAS stands for Parenthesis Exponent Multiplication Division Addition

Subtraction. It is the order that you need to follow to get the correct answer. To visualize
lets have some examples.

Example 1: ( )

1st Step: Simplify what is inside the parenthesis. ( )

The new equation will be ( ) .

2nd Step: Remove the exponent by evaluating it. ( ) .

The new equation will be .

3rd Step: Multiply the numbers that you can multiply.

The new equation will be . Note: include the negative sign when
multiplying.

4th Step: Divide the numbers that you can divide.

The new equation will be .

5th Step: Add the numbers that you can add.

The new equation will be . Note: include the negative sign when adding.

6th Step: Subtract the numbers that you can subtract.

The answer is 5.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Example 2:

If the mathematical expression is consists of only multiplication and division you can just
solve it from left to right.

Example 3:

If division comes immediately before multiplication, divide first before you multiply then
do the rest of the operations.

Example 4: ( )

( )

Note: You can always use your calculator for checking if you are not sure in your
answer. Most calculators are programmed to follow PEMDAS. Just input the given
carefully and all at once to get the correct answer.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Fractions

Types of Fractions

1. Proper Fractions – the numerator of the fraction is smaller than its denominator.

Examples:

2. Improper Fractions – the numerator of the fraction is larger than or equal to its
denominator.

Examples:

3. Mixed Fractions – fractions that are composed of a whole number and a proper
fraction.

Examples:

Converting Mixed Fractions to Improper Fractions

To convert mixed fractions to improper fractions, multiply the denominator of the fraction
to the whole number part and add their product to the numerator. This sum will be the new
numerator. The denominator will still be the same.

Example:

Convert to improper fraction.

Step 1: Multiply the denominator of the fraction to the whole number part.

Step 2: Add the product to the numerator.

Step 3: Rewrite the fraction.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Converting Improper Fractions to Mixed Fraction

To convert improper fractions to mixed fractions, divide the numerator by the

denominator. The quotient will be the whole number part, the remainder will be the
numerator of the proper fraction and the denominator will still be the same.

Example:

Convert to mixed fraction.

Step 1: Divide the numerator by the denominator.

Step 2: Write the quotient as the whole number part, the remainder as the numerator
and retain the denominator.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Operations on Fractions

1. Addition and Subtraction of Fractions

If the fractions are like fractions (same denominators), just add/subtract the numerators
then copy the denominator.

Examples:

If the fractions have different denominators follow this 5-step procedure:

Step 1: Multiply the denominator of the first fraction to the denominator of the second
fraction. (This will be the new denominator)

Step 2: Multiply the denominator of the second fraction to the numerator of the first
fraction. (Steps 2 – 4 are written above the new denominator)

Step 3: Copy the operation.

Step 4: Multiply the denominator of the first fraction to the numerator of the second
fraction.

Step 5: Simplify and reduce the fraction to lowest terms.

Note: To get the lowest terms of a fraction, just get the greatest common factor of the
numerator and denominator and divide it to the numerator and denominator.

Examples:

Step 1: ⇒ Step 1: ⇒

Step 2: ⇒ Step 2: ⇒

Step 3: Copy the operation. ⇒ Step 3: Copy the operation. ⇒

Step 4: ⇒ Step 4: ⇒

Step 5: Simplify. ⇒ Step 5: Simplify. ⇒

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
2. Multiplication of Fractions

To multiply two fractions, just multiply the numerator of the first fraction to the
numerator of the second fraction then multiply the denominator of the first fraction to the
denominator of the second fraction. Reduce the resulting fraction to lowest terms.

Examples:

3. Division of Fractions

To divide a fraction by a fraction, get the reciprocal of the divisor then multiply it
to the dividend. Reduce the resulting fraction to lowest terms.

Note: to get the reciprocal of a fraction, just interchange the numerator and denominator.

Examples:

If the fraction has this form: just multiply . So, then reduce

the fraction to lowest terms.

Examples:

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Integral Exponents

Definition: For any real number and positive integer ,

( )

is multiplied to itself number of times.

Examples:

( )

Laws of Exponents

For any real numbers and and positive integers and the following laws will hold:

( )

( )

( )

( ) ( )

Note: The laws of exponents will also hold for non-integral / fractional exponents.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Examples:

( )

⇒( ) ⇒

( ) ( )

⇒ ⇒( ) ( )

⇒ ⇒

( )

⇒( )

( )

⇒( )

⇒( )

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Radical Expressions

Parts of a Radical

√
Where:

Properties of Radicals

For any real numbers and and positive integers that are greater than one and
the following properties will hold:

√ √ √

√
√
√

√ √√ √√

√ (√ )

Examples:

√ √ √ √ √ √√ √√

⇒ √ ⇒√ √ √ ⇒ √ √√ √√

√
√ √ √ (√ )
√

√
⇒√ ⇒ √ ⇒√ (√ )
√

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Steps on Simplifying Radicals

Step 1: Get the prime factors of the numerical coefficient.

Step 2: Express each coefficients in exponential form.

Step 3: Simplify then change the improper fraction exponents to mixed fractions.

Step 4: Separate the whole number exponent from the fractional exponent.

Step 5: Return the fractional exponents to radical form then simplify.

Examples:

√ √

Step 1: √ Step 1: √

*⇒ √ Step 2:

Step 2: Step 3:

Step 3: Step 4: ( )

Step 4: ( ) Step 5: √

√
Step 5: √ ⇒

*Note: In Step 1, if the prime factors of the numerical coefficient appear more than once,
write it in exponential form.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Rationalizing the Denominator

A simplified radical must not contain any radical in the denominator. To remove
the radical in the denominator, we can use the process called rationalization.

To rationalize a denominator, multiply the numerator and denominator by a

radical factor so that the radicand of the denominator will have an exact root.

Example:

Rationalize
√

The radical factor to be multiplied in this case is √ since, if you multiply √ to √ it will
yield √ . So,

√ √ √
⇒
√ √

Note: The index of the radical factor is always the same as the index of the radical in the
denominator.

If the radical in the denominator has numerical coefficient, get the prime factors of the
numerical coefficient and change it to exponential form so that you can easily see what
to multiply.

Example:

√
Rationalize
√

√ √
⇒
√ √

√
√

√ √

Note: The exponents of the product of the radical factor and the radical in the
denominator must be equal to the index.

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
To rationalize a denominator that is a binomial and contains radical in its terms, multiply
the numerator and the denominator by the conjugate of the denominator.

Conjugate is a binomial formed by negating the second term of the binomial. The
product of conjugates is always a rational number. Example: the conjugate of √
√ .

Examples:

√
Rationalize
√

First identify the conjugate of √ (The conjugate of √ is √ ), then

multiply √ to the numerator and denominator and simplify.

√ √
⇒
√ √

√ √ √
√ √

√ √ √

Rationalize
√ √

√ √
⇒
√ √ √ √

√ √
√ √

√ √

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
Operations on Radicals

1. Addition and Subtraction of Radicals

To add/subtract terms having the same radicals (same index and radicand),
add/subtract the numerical coefficient and copy the common radical.

Example:

√ √ √

( )√

If there are no similar radicals, simplify each term. If after simplifying there are similar
radicals, proceed to addition/subtraction. If none, the answer is as is.

Examples:

√ √ √

√ √ √

√ √ √

( )√

√ √ √

√ √ √

√ √ √

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
2. Multiplication of Radicals

To multiply radicals with the same indices, just follow the properties of radicals.

Examples:

√ √ √ √ √ √

To multiply radicals with no common index, follow this procedure:

Step 1: Change the radicals to exponential form. Express each numerical radicand to its
prime factor form.

Step 2: Get the least common multiple of the denominator of the fractional exponents.
Write that as the new denominator of the fractional exponents.

Step 3: To get the new numerator of the fractional exponent, divide the new
denominator by the old denominator then multiply it to the old numerator. Do this to the
rest of the fractional exponents.

Step 4: Return the fractional exponents to radical form then simplify. If the simplified
form is too large to evaluate, leave it as is.

Examples:

√ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Step 1: Step 1:

Step 2: Step 2:

Step 3: Step 3:

Step 4: √ Step 4: √

√ √

√ √

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only
3. Division of Radicals

To divide radicals with the same indices, just follow the properties of radicals.
Rationalize if necessary.

Examples:

√ √ √ √

√ √ √
√ √ √

√
√

To divide radicals with different indices, just rationalize then simplify.

Example:

√ √
√ √
√ √

√ √
√

Prepared By: Mr. Reiniel Mark A. Sison

Reviewed By: Ms. Angeline A. Relos For Educational Purposes Only