KEY SKILLS

Surds– Part IV – Rationalising the 410 411

Denominator 412
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Prerequisites: Be able to simplify, Worked Example 1: Worked Example 2: Simplify:

add, subtract and multiply surds. Simplify by 13 − 2 2 If there are two terms in

Motivation: When surds are in the rationalising the 5+ 2

the denominator, multiply
top and bottom by the
denominator of a fraction, it denominator: same but with the sign in
10 the middle reversed, e.g.
makes it difficult to ‘collect’ terms, 13 − 2 2 5 − 2 if denominator is 7 − 2,
8
e.g. + 3 2 is difficult to simplify, 2 5+ 2 5− 2
multiply by 7 + 2
2
but we can turn this into 65 − 13 2 − 10 2 + 4 Make use of brackets!
× 2
4 2 + 3 2 , making it easy to 10 10 2 =
= 25 − 5 2 + 5 2 − 2 Expand brackets
simplify to 7 2 2 × 2 2 69 − 23 2 and simplify.
=5 2 =
Key Terminology: Surds are 23
Simplify. Divide each term
known as irrational because they = 3− 2 in the numerator
can’t be expressed as a fraction. by the 23.
Observe that 2 × 2 = 2. To keep the fraction the
Rationalising an expression means So it makes sense to multiply same value, we must
to get rid of surds. the denominator by 2 so multiply top and bottom
that it is no longer a surd. by the same value.

Core Questions
Simplify by Simplify the Simplify the following.
1 rationalising the
3 following. 4 3+ 2
2 (a) 3− 2
denominator. (a) 3−1
6
(a) 3 1 (b)
2 5+3 3

6 (b) 5+ 3
(b) 5+2

Problem Solving
2
5 18
(c) (c)
5 4− 7
12 Simplify the following.
(d) 3 (d)
6
3+1
5 3+2
2

(e)
15 (a)
5 3−2
3− 3
(f)
4 (e) 1− 2
7 2− 3 (b) 2
6 2 2+1
(g) 5−1
5 (f)
18 5−2
(h) 3
2−10
(i)
9 (g)
3 2+4
49
5(a) −26 − 15 3 (b)
6+5 2
17−13 2

Simplify by (h) 2

2
(b) 4(a) 5 + 2 6
2+1 1+ 15

rationalising the
3+2 6 (j) 2 + 7
denominator. (i) 5
6+1 (g) 2 − 3 (h) 4 + 2 (i)
1
(a) 3 2
9+ 6
We can just (d) 3 3 − 3 (e) 3 + 3 (f) 3 + 5
multiply by the 3+3 7
(j)
3(a) 1 + 3 (b) 5 − 2 (c) 8 + 2 7
2
(b) surd 2. No need
to multiply by 3 2
5− 7
5 3 12 28 15 6
9
(d) (c) (b) 2(a)
(c)
3 9 7 2 3 2

4 7
(h) 6 3 (i) 3 3
3 5 7
(d)
(g) (d) 4 3 (e) 3 5 (f)
6 5 4 7
6 12 Solutions: 1(a) 2 3 (b) 3 2 (c) 5

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