Grade 8

Mathematics Worksheet

Rational and Irrational

Numbers
 Square Roots

Note 1
 If 𝒙𝟐 = 𝒂, then x is a square root of a.

 Each positive number a has two square roots, √𝒂 and − √𝒂.

√𝒂 is the 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 square root of 𝒂, while − √𝒂 is the 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 sqare root of 𝒂.

1. Evaluate the following square roots without using a calculator.

a. √324 b.
49
√
169

c. √0.64 d.
0.003
√
0.147

e. √2500 f. −√289

g. √22 × 32 h. √32 × 52 × 72

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 Rational and Irrational Number
Note 2
Rational Numbers
𝒎
 Numbers that can be written in the form (where m ,n are integers, and
𝒏

n ≠ 0) are called rational numbers.

Irrational Numbers
𝒎
 Numbers that cannot be written in the form (where m ,n are integers,
𝒏

and n ≠ 0) are called irrational numbers.

1. State whether the following numbers are rational or irrational numbers.

5 1 24 1 π
−2 , , √2 , 1.5 , √16 , −12.4 , 4.123̇ , π , 3 7 , √ 3 , 0.003 , −√9 , 0.1875 ,
3 5

Rational Irrational
Numbers Numbers

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 Surds
Note 3 .
Surds
 Square roots that cannot be written as terminating decimals or
recurring decimals are called surds.
For example: √2 , √3 ,
√6 , √13 , √28

Note 4
How to simplify a surd?
Example: Simplify √180 to the simplest surd form.
Step 1 Reduce 180 to the product of prime.
Use short division to divide 180 by prime numbers in ascending order.
i.e. 2, 3, 5, 7 etc.
2 180
2 90
Step 2 Rewrite 180 in the product of prime.
3 45
i.e. 180 = 2 × 2 × 3 × 3 × 5
= 22 × 32 × 5 3 15
5

Step 3 √180 = √22 × 32 × 5 ∵ 180 = 22 × 32 × 5 (from Step 1 & 2)

= √22 × √32 × √5
= 2 × 3 × √5
= 6√5

1. Reduce the following surds to the simplest surd form.

a. 12 b. √48

c. √18 d. √54

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e. √125 f. √96

g. √162 h. √147

i. √208 j. √378

k. √2625 l. √5544

m. 50 n.
 300
27 √
189

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 Note 5
Properties of Surds
 Property (1): For any two positive numbers a and b,
√𝒂 × 𝒃 = √𝒂 × √𝒃

 Property (2): For any two positive numbers a and b,

𝒂 √𝒂
√𝒃 =
√𝒃

Fundamental
1. Simplify the following expressions.
a. √3 + 4√3 − 3√3 b. −2√5 + 3√5 − 6√5

c. 3√2 − 2√3 − 2√2 d. −√7 + 4√5 − 2√7

e. √6 − √54 f. √12 + √27 − √3

g. √18 + √32 − √50 i. 2 45  4 50  6 20

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Intermediate

j. 1 4 k. 5 8
 35 2  2  3 40  2
2 3 2 5

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 Rationalization of Denominators
Note 6
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Example: Rationalize the denominator of .
√3

Step 1: Multiply numerator and denominator by a radical that will eliminate

the radical in the denominator.
𝟔 𝟔 √𝟑
i.e. = ×
√𝟑 √𝟑 √𝟑

Step 2: Simplify the fraction if needed.

𝟔 𝟔 √𝟑
i.e. = ×
√𝟑 √𝟑 √𝟑

𝟔×√𝟑
=
√𝟑×√𝟑

𝟔√𝟑
=
𝟑
= 𝟐√𝟑

Fundamental
1. Rationalize the denominators of the following expressions.

a. 1 b. 2
−
3 √6
2.

c. 5 d. 8

7 27

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2. Simplify the following expressions.
a. √3 × 2√3 × √3 b. 2√2 × (−√2) × 4√2

c. √8 × √2 × √32 d. √3 × √12 × √48

e. √12 × √27 × √50 f. √18 × √10 × √40

g. √6 × (−√42) × √45 h. √3 √14

×
√8 √105

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Intermediate
1. Simplify the following expressions.
a. √5(√15 + √20) b. 2√3(−√21 + √2 − 5√6)

c. −√6(√12 − 2√18 + 4√75) e. (√5 − √3)(√5 + √3)

*f. 10  5 10  5 *g.
  5  45 
   ( 12  3)
5 2  
 4 15 

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 MC Questions

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11
 IGCSE Past Paper

2011
October/November 2011/11

October/November 2011/22

2010
October/November 2010/13

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