GRADE 8

ADVANCED MATHEMATICS
Laws of Radicals
Recall the laws of exponents as follows;

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

x n xn
2. ¿ ¿ = x mn 4. ( =
y¿ yn

if you simplify √ a2 = ¿ ¿ = a 2/ 2 = α . Similarly, √

n n 1/ n n n/ n m n
a = (a ¿ = a = a, by applying the law of exponent ( x ¿ =
mn
x . So in general, if we have

¿ = a. We consider this as the first law of radical.

Next, if we have √
n
a • √n b , this is equal to a 1/ n • b 1/ n , applying the law of exponent ¿ = x n y n , we can
write a 1/ n • b 1/ n as (ab ¿ ¿ 1/ n hence,

√n a • √n b = √n ab, this is the second law of radical.

Another point to consider is the expression

√n a = a1 /n , applying the law of exponent (
x n
¿
xn
= n , we
√n b b1 /n y y

can write
a1 /n
b
1 /n as (
a 1 /n
b ¿
a 1/ n
hence, ( ¿
b
=
√
n a
b
, therefore,

√n a
√n b
=
√ n a
b
this is the third law of radical.

Lastly, the radical √ √ a when simplified is this; √ √ a

m n m n
= (√
n
a¿
1 /m
= (a 1/ n ¿1 / m = a 1/ mn [by law of exponent (
m n mn
x ¿ = x ]. Since a
1/ mn
= mn
√ a , therefore
√√a
m n
= √a
mn
is the last law of radical.

To summarize the laws of radicals, we have the following;

1. √n an = α

2. √n a • √n b = √n ab

3.
√n a
√n b
=
√
n a
b

4. √√a
m n
= mn
√a
Activity: Let’s Apply!

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

√3 128
1. √3 x 3 6.
√3 2
2. √3 8 x3 7. √3 3 • √3 18
3. √ 32 8. √ √ 64
2 3

4. √ 16 x2 9. √3 250

√4 48 a10
5. √ 64
6
10.
√ 3 a2
4

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

1. (100 x 4 ¿1 /2

3/ 2
2. 64

√ x • √ x3
3
3.
√ 25 x

4. √ x6n
2n

5.
√5 96 a7
√5 3 a2