18.

Root Operations
Some basic rules:
o √𝑥𝑥 × �𝑦𝑦 = �𝑥𝑥 × 𝑦𝑦 With numbers: √6 × √4 = √6 × 4 = √24
o √𝑥𝑥 2 = 𝑥𝑥 With numbers: √52 = 5

Simplifying roots requires finding factors which are square numbers (you have done this by finding some factors in
the table on the previous page). Factors are all of the whole numbers that can be divided exactly into a number.
For example, the factors of 12 are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 12.

• Let’s simplify √56 ; 56 has multiple factors and it is good practice to list them all:
∗ 1 × 56
∗ 2 × 28
∗ 4 × 14 (4 × 14 𝑖𝑖𝑖𝑖 the key since it has a square number which is 4.)
∗ 7 ×8
So, we can simplify √56 = √4 × √14 = 2√14 (because √4 = 2)
Example Problems:

1. Simplify √32

√32 32 has the factors: 1 × 32, 2 × 16, 4 × 8. The biggest square number in this list is 16.

∴ √32 = √16 × √2 = 4√2

2. Simplify 5√18

5√18 18 has the factors: 1 × 18, 2 × 9, 3 × 6. The biggest square number is 9.

∴ 5√18 = 5 × √9 × √2

= 5 × 3 × √2

= 15√2
18. Your Turn:

a) Simplify √81

b) Simplify √72

c) Simplify 2√48

d) Simplify 4√338

Watch this short Khan Academy video for further explanation:

“Simplifying square roots”
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra-basics/core-algebra-foundations/square-roots-for-college/v/simplifying-square-
roots-1

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