Surds

Use the questions on the next pages to practise your understanding of what you
learnt. You can answer the questions either on the sheet or on a separate piece of
paper.

The answers can be found after the questions so you can mark your own work.
2
1. Simplify 2 5
(1 mark)

2. Simplify 4 + 12 3 − 3
(2 marks)

3. A rectangle has a length of 1 + 3 cm and an area of 12 cm².

Calculate the width of the rectangle in cm. Express your answer in the form p + q 3,
where p and q are integers.
(5 marks)

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 Surds

4. Simplify

5− 2
3+ 2

Giving your answer in the form a + b 2, where a and b are rational numbers.
(2 marks)

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 Surds

Solutions
2 2
1. 2 5 = 22 × 5
=4×5
= 20 (1 mark)

2. 4 + 12 3 − 3 = 12 − 4 3 + 3 12 − 36 by multiplying out the brackets

= 12 − 4 3 + 3 3 × 4 − 6 since 12 = 3 × 4

= 12 − 4 3 + 3 × 2 3 − 6 by the rules for surds (1 mark)

= 12 − 4 3 + 6 3 − 6
=6+2 3 by simplification (1 mark)

3. The rectangle has length 1 + 3 cm and area 12 cm².

This means that the width of the rectangle is

12 12 1 − 3
= × (2 marks)
1+ 3 1+ 3 1 − 3
12 − 36
= by multiplying out the brackets
1−3
12 − 6 since 36 = 6 (1 mark)
=
−2
3×4−6
=−
2
2 3−6
=− by the rules for surds (1 mark)
2
=− 3+3
=3− 3 by simplification (1 mark)

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4. 5 − 2 5− 2 3− 2
= ×
3+ 2 3+ 2 3 − 2
15 − 5 2 − 3 2 + 2 by multiplying out the brackets (1 mark)
=
9−2
17 − 8 2
=
7
17 8 by simplification (1 mark)
= − 2
7 7

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