9.

2 Simplifying Radical Expressions

9.2 OBJECTIVES
1. Simplify expressions involving numeric radicals
2. Simplify expressions involving algebraic radicals

In Section 9.1, we introduced the radical notation. For most applications, we will want to
make sure that all radical expressions are in simplest form. To accomplish this, the follow-
ing three conditions must be satisfied.

Rules and Properties: Square Root Expressions in

Simplest Form
An expression involving square roots is in simplest form if

1. There are no perfect-square factors in a radical.

2. No fraction appears inside a radical.
3. No radical appears in the denominator.

For instance, considering condition 1,

117 is in simplest form because 17 has no perfect-square factors

whereas

112 is not in simplest form

because it does contain a perfect-square factor.

112  14  3

A perfect square

To simplify radical expressions, we’ll need to develop two important properties. First, look
at the following expressions:

14  9  136  6

14  19  2  3  6

Because this tells us that 14  9  14  19, the following general rule for radicals is
suggested.
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Rules and Properties: Property 1 of Radicals

For any positive real numbers a and b,

1ab  1a  1b

In words, the square root of a product is the product of the square roots.

707
708 CHAPTER 9 EXPONENTS AND RADICALS

Let’s see how this property is applied in simplifying expressions when radicals are
involved.

Example 1
Simplifying Radical Expressions
NOTE Perfect-square factors Simplify each expression.
are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81,
100, and so on.
(a) 112  14  3

A perfect square

NOTE Apply Property 1.  14  13

NOTE Notice that we have  213
removed the perfect-square
factor from inside the radical, (b) 145  19  5
so the expression is in simplest
form.
NOTE It would not have A perfect square
helped to write
 19  15
145  115  3
because neither factor is a  3 15
perfect square.
NOTE We look for the largest (c) 172  136  2
perfect-square factor, here 36.
A perfect square

NOTE Then apply Property 1.  136  12

 6 12

(d) 5118  5 19  2

A perfect square

 5  19  12  5  3  12  1512

C A U TI ON Be Careful! Even though

1a  b  1a  1b
1a  b is not the same as 1a  1b

Let a  4 and b  9, and substitute.

1a  b  14  9  113
1a  1b  14  19  2  3  5
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Because 113  5, we see that the expressions 1a  b and 1a  1b are not in general
the same.

CHECK YOURSELF 1
Simplify.

(a) 120 (b) 175 (c) 198 (d) 148

 SIMPLIFYING RADICAL EXPRESSIONS SECTION 9.2 709

The process is the same if variables are involved in a radical expression. In our
remaining work with radicals, we will assume that all variables represent positive real
numbers.

Example 2
Simplifying Radical Expressions
Simplify each of the following radicals.

(a) 2x3  2x2  x

A perfect square

NOTE By our first rule for  2x2  1x

radicals.
NOTE 2x2  x (as long as x is  x1x
positive).

(b) 24b3  24  b2  b

Perfect squares

 24b2  1b

 2b1b

NOTE Notice that we want the (c) 218a5  29  a4  2a

perfect-square factor to have
the largest possible even Perfect squares
exponent, here 4. Keep in mind
that
 29a4  12a
a2  a2  a4
 3a2 12a

CHECK YOURSELF 2
Simplify.

(a) 29x3 (b) 227m3 (c) 250b5

To develop a second property for radicals, look at the following expressions:

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16
 14  2
A4

116 4
 2
14 2

16 116
Because  , a second general rule for radicals is suggested.
A4 14
710 CHAPTER 9 EXPONENTS AND RADICALS

Rules and Properties: Property 2 of Radicals

For any positive real numbers a and b,

a 1a

Ab 1b

In words, the square root of a quotient is the quotient of the square roots.

This property is used in a fashion similar to Property 1 in simplifying radical expres-

sions. Remember that our second condition for a radical expression to be in simplest form
states that no fraction should appear inside a radical. Example 3 illustrates how expressions
that violate that condition are simplified.

Example 3
Simplifying Radical Expressions

Write each expression in simplest form.


Remove any
9 19
NOTE Apply Property 2 to (a)  perfect squares
write the numerator and A4 14 from the radical.
denominator as separate
3
radicals. 
2

2 12
NOTE Apply Property 2. (b) 
A 25 125
12

5

8x2 28x2
NOTE Apply Property 2. (c) 
B 9 19

NOTE Factor 8x2 as 4x2  2.

24x2  2

3
24x2  12
NOTE Apply Property 1 in the 
numerator. 3
2x12

3
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CHECK YOURSELF 3
Simplify.

25 7 12x2
(a) (b) (c)
A 16 A9 B 49
 SIMPLIFYING RADICAL EXPRESSIONS SECTION 9.2 711

In our previous examples, the denominator of the fraction appearing in the radical was
a perfect square, and we were able to write each expression in simplest radical form by
removing that perfect square from the denominator.
If the denominator of the fraction in the radical is not a perfect square, we can still apply
Property 2 of radicals. As we will see in Example 4, the third condition for a radical to be
in simplest form is then violated, and a new technique is necessary.

Example 4
Simplifying Radical Expressions

Write each expression in simplest form.

1 11 1
NOTE We begin by applying (a)  
Property 2. A3 13 13

1
Do you see that is still not in simplest form because of the radical in the denominator?
13
To solve this problem, we multiply the numerator and denominator by 13. Note that the
denominator will become

13  13  19  3

We then have

NOTE We can do this because 1 1  13 13

 
we are multiplying the fraction 13 13  13 3
13
by or 1, which does not
13
change its value.
13
The expression is now in simplest form because all three of our conditions are satisfied.
3

2 12
(b) 
A5 15

12  15
NOTE 
12  15  12  5  110 15  15
15  15  5
110

5

and the expression is in simplest form because again our three conditions are satisfied.

3x 13x
(c) 
A7 17
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13x  17
NOTE We multiply numerator 
and denominator by 17 to 17  17
“clear” the denominator of the
radical. This is also known as 121x
“rationalizing” the 
7
denominator.
The expression is in simplest form.
712 CHAPTER 9 EXPONENTS AND RADICALS

CHECK YOURSELF 4
Simplify.

1 2 2y
(a) (b) (c)
A2 A3 A5

Both of the properties of radicals given in this section are true for cube roots, fourth
roots, and so on. Here we have limited ourselves to simplifying expressions involving
square roots.

CHECK YOURSELF ANSWERS

1. (a) 215; (b) 513; (c) 712; (d) 413 2. (a) 3x1x; (b) 3m13m;

5 17 2x13 12 16 110y
(c) 5b2 12b 3. (a) ; (b) ; (c) 4. (a) ; (b) ; (c)
4 3 7 2 3 5

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 Name

9.2 Exercises Section Date

Use Property 1 to simplify each of the following radical expressions. Assume that all
variables represent positive real numbers.
ANSWERS

1. 118 2. 150
1.

2.

3. 128 4. 1108 3.

4.

5. 145 6. 180 5.

6.

7.
7. 148 8. 1125
8.

9.
9. 1200 10. 196
10.

11.

11. 1147 12. 1300

12.

13.

13. 3112 14. 5124 14

15.

16.
15. 25x 16. 27a
2 2

17.

18.
17. 23y 18. 210x
4 6

19.

20.
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19. 22r 20. 25a

3 5

21.

22.

21. 227b 22. 298m

2 4
23.

24

23. 224x 24. 272x

4 3

713
ANSWERS

25.
25. 254a5 26. 2200y6
26.

27. 27. 2x y
3 2
28. 2a b
2 5

28.
Use Property 2 to simplify each of the following radical expressions.
29.
4 64
29. 30.
30. A 25 A9

31.
9 49
31. 32.
A 16 A 25
32.

33. 3 5
33. 34.
A4 A9
34.

35. 5 10
35. 36.
A 36 A 49
36.
Use the properties for radicals to simplify each of the following expressions. Assume that
37. all variables represent positive real numbers.

38. 8a2 12y2

37. 38.
B 25 B 49
39.

1 1
40. 39. 40.
A5 A7

41.
3 5
41. 42.
42. A2 A3

43.
3a 2x
43. 44.
A5 A7
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44.

45.
2x2 5m2
45. 46.
B 3 B 2
46.

47. 48. 8s3 12x3

47. 48.
B 7 B 5

714
 ANSWERS

49.
Decide whether each of the following is already written in simplest form. If it is not,
explain what needs to be done.
50.

51.
49. 110mn 50. 118ab
52.

98x2y 16xy
51. 52. 53.
B 7x 3x

54.
53. Find the area and perimeter of this square:

One of these measures, the area, is a rational number, and the other, the perimeter, is
an irrational number. Explain how this happened. Will the area always be a rational
number? Explain.

n2  1 n2  1
54. (a) Evaluate the three expressions , n, using odd values of n:
2 2
1, 3, 5, 7, etc. Make a chart like the one below and complete it.

n2  1 n2  1
a c
n 2 bn 2 a2 b2 c2
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
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15

(b) Check for each of these sets of three numbers to see if this statement is true:
2a2  b2  2c2. For how many of your sets of three did this work? Sets of
three numbers for which this statement is true are called “Pythagorean triples”
because a2  b2  c2. Can the radical equation be written in this way:
2a2  b2  a  b? Explain your answer.

715
ANSWERS

a.
Getting Ready for Section 9.3 [Section 1.6]
b.

Use the distributive property to combine the like terms in each of the following
c.
expressions.
d. (a) 5x  6x (b) 8a  3a
(c) 10y  12y (d) 7m  10m
e. (e) 9a  7a  12a (f) 5s  8s  4s
(g) 12m  3n  6m (h) 8x  5y  4x
f.

g.

h.
Answers
1. 312 3. 217 5. 315 7. 413 9. 1012 11. 713
13. 613 15. x15 17. y2 13 19. r12r 21. 3b13
2 3 13
23. 2x2 16 25. 3a2 16a 27. xy1x 29. 31. 33.
5 4 2
15 2a12 15 16 115a x16
35. 37. 39. 41. 43. 45.
6 5 5 2 5 3
2s114s
47. 49. Simplest form
7
51. Remove the perfect-square factors from the radical and simplify. 53.

a. 11x b. 5a c. 2y d. 17m e. 4a f. s g. 6m  3n

h. 4x  5y

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716