Lesson

6
Laws of Radicals

In the previous lesson, you learned how to write expressions with rational exponents
into radicals and vice-versa.

This module may help you understand how radicals exist and how it is being
simplified. As you go through this lesson, you will learn to:

● Derive the laws of radicals

● Apply the laws of exponents to support such laws of radicals.

Activity 1: Exponential to Radical form and Vice-versa

Recall how to write an expression with rational exponents to radicals and vice-versa.
This activity will help you attain mastery of your previous lessons. The first items in each
test serve as examples.

I. Write each expression to radical form.

1/2 2/3
1. (𝑥𝑦) = 𝑥𝑦 6. 24
 1/2 1/4
2. 𝑥 7. (ab)

2/3 4/5 1/3 1/4

3. 𝑦 𝑧 8. [(m) ]

2 1/4 1/3
4. (3𝑥 ) 9. (4/5)

1/3 2 1/4
5. 2𝑥 10. ( 𝑥 y)

II. Write each radical expression to exponential form

1/2 5 )2
1. 5𝑥 = (5𝑥) 6. (32𝑎

𝑛 𝑛 𝑚
2. 𝑥 7. 𝑥

3 2 𝑛 𝑥 𝑦
3. 𝑥 8. 𝑎𝑏

4 3 4 4 2
4. 𝑏 9. 𝑦𝑥

3 6 4 4 3
5. 8𝑥 𝑦 10. 𝑏

Guide Questions:
1. How did you write expressions with rational exponents to radicals?
2. What is the relation between its corresponding exponents to its index and to its
radicand?
3. When you write radicals to exponential expression, what are the rules to be
considered?
Did you see any pattern?
 Your goal in this section is to understand how laws of exponents are used as
basis to solve radical expressions.

Recall the laws of exponents as follows;

𝑚 𝑛 𝑚+𝑛 𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
1. 𝑥 • 𝑥 = 𝑥 3. (𝑥𝑦) = 𝑥 𝑦
𝑛
𝑚 𝑛 𝑚𝑛 𝑥 𝑛 𝑥
2. (𝑥 ) = 𝑥 4. ( 𝑦
) = 𝑛
𝑦

Below are radical expressions, identify what law of exponent is being use in order to
simplify it.

Illustrative Example
3 3
Solve 7 .
1
3 3 3
Solution: 7 = (7 3 ) rewriting radical expression to exponential

3/3 𝑚 𝑛 𝑚𝑛
= 7 applying the laws of exponent (𝑥 ) = 𝑥
1
= 7
= 7

Drill:

Follow the example above to solve the following items:

2 3 40
1. 3 4. 5

4 4 3
2. 6 5. 64

𝑎 𝑏
3. 3 • 8 6. 𝑥
 Answer this activity to further explore the key concepts and the relationships between the
laws of exponents to the laws of radicals.

Activity 2: Try and Learn

Write the following radical expressions to exponential and simplify then indicate what law of
exponent is used to support such solutions. Base your answers in the previous

2 𝑛 𝑛
1. ( 5) 5. 𝑎 • 𝑏

2
2. 𝑎 6. 3 • 8

𝑛 𝑛 𝑎 𝑏
3. 𝑎 7. 8

𝑛
𝑎
4. 𝑎 • 𝑏 8. 𝑛
𝑏

From the previous activity, how did you relate the laws of exponents to radicals?
2 1/2 2 2/2 𝑛 𝑛 1/𝑛 𝑛 𝑛/𝑛
For instance, if you simplify 𝑎 = (𝑎 ) = 𝑎 = α. Similarly, 𝑎 = (𝑎 ) =𝑎 = a, by
𝑚 𝑛 𝑚𝑛
applying the law of exponent (𝑥 ) = 𝑥 . So in general, if we have
𝑛 𝑛
( 𝑎) = a. We consider this as the first law of radical.

𝑛 𝑛 1/𝑛 1/𝑛
Next, if we have 𝑎 • 𝑏 , this is equal to 𝑎 • 𝑏 , applying the law of exponent
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛 1/𝑛 1/𝑛 1/𝑛
(𝑥𝑦) = 𝑥 𝑦 , we can write 𝑎 • 𝑏 as (𝑎𝑏) hence,
𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
𝑎 • 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑏, this is the second law of radical.
𝑛 1/𝑛
𝑎 𝑎
Another point to consider is the expression 𝑛 = 1/𝑛 , applying the law of exponent (
𝑏 𝑏
𝑛 1/𝑛
𝑥 𝑛 𝑥 𝑎 𝑎 1/𝑛 𝑎 1/𝑛 𝑛 𝑎
𝑦
) = 𝑛 , we can write 1/𝑛 as ( 𝑏 ) hence, ( 𝑏 ) = 𝑏
, therefore,
𝑦 𝑏
𝑛
𝑎 𝑛 𝑎
𝑛 = 𝑏
this is the third law of radical.
𝑏

𝑚 𝑛 𝑚 𝑛 𝑛 1/𝑚 1/𝑛 1/𝑚 1/𝑚𝑛

Lastly, the radical 𝑎 when simplified is this; 𝑎 = ( 𝑎) = (𝑎 ) =𝑎 [by
𝑚 𝑛 𝑚𝑛 1/𝑚𝑛 𝑚𝑛
law of exponent (𝑥 ) = 𝑥 ]. Since 𝑎 = 𝑎 , therefore
𝑚 𝑛 𝑚𝑛
𝑎 = 𝑎 is the last law of radical.
Activity 3: Let’s Apply!

I. Apply the laws of radicals to solve the following items:

3 3
3 128
1. 𝑥 6. 3
2

3 3 3 3
2. 8𝑥 7. 3 • 18

2 3
3. 32 8. 64

2 3
4. 16𝑥 9. 250
4 10
6 48𝑎
5. 64 10. 4 2
3𝑎

II. Evaluate the following expressions applying the laws of radicals.

4 1/2
1. (100𝑥 )

3/2
2. 64

3 3
𝑥• 𝑥
3.
25𝑥

2𝑛 6𝑛
4. 𝑥
5 7
96𝑎
5. 5 2
3𝑎
Activity 4: Journal Writing
Make a journal about your learning experiences in this lesson by completing each
statement below;

I learn that …

I feel great when I …

I have difficulty in…

This lesson is somewhat…

The activities I encountered are…

I realized that…

I need help when…

Rubrics for Journal writing

Excellent (5) Very Good (4) Good (3)

Ideas are clear & Ideas are clear and Ideas are not so
Content & Ideas supply of words is supply of words is clear and
adequate not so adequate inadequate supply of
words

Skills in Sentence Sentences are well Sentences are well Sentences are not
Construction structured with structured but well structured; no
evidence of thoughts evidence of thoughts evidence of thoughts
relevant to the relevant to the relevant to the
lessons lessons are not lessons
emphasized
Grammar Correct use of Slight error in Erroneous use of
grammar at all times grammar grammar
Summary/Synthesis/Generalization
In this lesson, you have learned the following laws of radicals:

𝑛 𝑛
1. 𝑎 = α

𝑛 𝑛 𝑛
2. 𝑎 • 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑏
𝑛
𝑎 𝑛 𝑎
3. 𝑛 = 𝑏
𝑏
𝑚 𝑛 𝑚𝑛
4. 𝑎 = 𝑎

Remember that in solving radicals, we also take into consideration the laws of
exponents. With this regard, the laws of radicals and the laws of exponents will go hand in
hand in dealing with solutions related to these topics.

Prepared by:
Jesusa P. Macas
Teacher, Iligan City National High School

Evaluated by:

Roxane Mae D. Nacua

Teacher I, Division of Gingoog City