Adding and Subtracting Radicals

Simplify each expression.(note: Combine similar terms)

1. 14x + 15y – 12y + x 15x + 3y
2. 9xy + 2xy – 8xy 3xy
3. –3x 2 + 8x 2 - 10y 5𝑥 2 - 10y
Simplify. Note: (factor using perfect squares)
4. 24 = 4●6=2 6

= 16 ● 2 = 4 2
5. 32
= 100 ● 3 = 10 3
6. 300
Adding and Subtracting Radicals

Objective:
Add and subtract radical expressions.

Vocabulary
like radicals
Adding and Subtracting Radicals
Like radicals can be combined by adding or subtracting.
You can use the Distributive Property to show how this is done:

keep

add

keep

subtract

Notice that you can combine like radicals by adding or subtracting the numbers
multiplied by the radical and keeping the radical the same.
 Adding and Subtracting Radicals
Helpful Hint
Add or subtract.
A.
The terms are like radicals.
(9-4) 3
Subtract 9 and 4 then keep 3

B.
The terms are unlike
radicals. Do not combine.
 More examples:

1) 4 5 + 7 5 2) 6 3 + 5 3 + 10 3
= (4 + 7) 𝟓 = (6 + 5 + 10) 𝟑
= 11 𝟓 = 21 𝟑
 More examples:

3) 20 7 - 9 7 4) 16 31 - 7 31 - 4 31
= (20 - 9) 𝟕 = (16 - 7 - 4) 𝟑𝟏
= 11 𝟕 = 5 𝟑𝟏
 More examples:

5) 𝟏𝟎 𝟑 + 12 𝟓 - 6 𝟑 - 4 𝟓 Identify like terms

= (10 - 6) 𝟑 + (12-4) 𝟓
= 4 𝟑+8 𝟓 Do not combine
since the radicals are unlike
 More examples:

6) 3x 𝟕𝒂 + 4x 𝟏𝟑𝒃 - 8x 𝟕𝒂 - 3x 𝟏𝟑𝒃 Identify like terms

= (3x – 8x) 𝟕𝒂 + (4x-3x) 𝟏𝟑𝒃 Combine like terms

= -5x 𝟕𝒂 + x 𝟏𝟑𝒃 Do not combine

since the radicals are unlike
Simplify Given Perfect
Squares

1) 𝟏𝟐
𝟐𝟐
1
4

= 9●5 Factor the radicand using the perfect square

𝟑𝟐 9
𝟒𝟐 16
=3 5 Extract the roots 𝟓𝟐 25
𝟔𝟐 36
𝟕𝟐 49
𝟖𝟐 64
𝟗𝟐 81
𝟏𝟎𝟐 100
Simplify Given Perfect
Squares

2) 𝟏𝟐
𝟐𝟐
1
4

= 25●2 Factor the radicand using the perfect square

𝟑𝟐 9
𝟒𝟐 16
=5 2 Extract the roots 𝟓𝟐 25
𝟔𝟐 36
𝟕𝟐 49
𝟖𝟐 64
𝟗𝟐 81
𝟏𝟎𝟐 100
Simplify Given Perfect
Squares

3) 𝟏𝟐
𝟐𝟐
1
4

= 36●2 Factor the radicand using the perfect square

𝟑𝟐 9
𝟒𝟐 16
=6 2 Extract the roots 𝟓𝟐 25
𝟔𝟐 36
𝟕𝟐 49
𝟖𝟐 64
𝟗𝟐 81
𝟏𝟎𝟐 100
 More examples:
Simplify
1)
= 9●5 + 4●5 Factor the radicand using the perfect square

=3 5+2 5 Extract the roots

= (3 + 2) 5 Combine like terms
=5 5

Perfect Squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, . . .

 More examples:
Simplify
2)
= 9●3 + 4●3 Factor the radicand using the perfect square

=3 3+2 3 Extract the roots

= (3 + 2) 3 Combine like terms
=5 3

Perfect Squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, . . .

 More examples:
Simplify
3)
Factor the radicand using
= 4●7 + 9●7 - 16●7 the perfect square
=2 7+3 7 -4 7 Extract the roots
= (2 + 3 - 4) 7 Combine like terms
= 1 7 or 7

Perfect Squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, . . .

 More examples:
Simplify
4)
Factor the radicand using
= 3 4●2 - 5 16●2 the perfect square

= 3● 2 2 - 5 ● 4 2 Extract the roots

= 6 2 - 20 2 Multiply the factors
= (6 -20) 2 Combine like terms
= -14 2
Perfect Squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, . . .
 More examples:
Simplify
5)
Factor the radicand using
= 25●2 - 3 16●2 + 5 4●6 the perfect square
= 5 2 - 3 ● 4 2 + 5 ●2 6 Extract the roots
= 5 2 - 12 2 + 10 6 Multiply the factors
= (5 - 12) 2 + 10 6 Combine like terms
= -7 2 + 10 6
Perfect Squares: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100, . . .
Word Problem:
Find the perimeter of the triangle. Give the answer as a radical
expression in simplest form.

Solution: (note: the formula for the perimeter of

triangle is P = a + b + c
P = 3 3 + 8 3 + 12 3
P = (3 + 8 + 12) 3
P = 23 3 cm
Problem Solving:
What is the perimeter of a rectangle
whose length and width are 27 meters
and 12 meters.
Solution:
P = 2(L + W)
P = 2( 27 + 12)
P = 2( 9●3 + 4●3)
P = 2(3 3 + 2 3)
P = 2(5 3)
P = 10 3 meters
Problem Solving:
What is the perimeter of a square
whose side is 45 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠

Solution:
P = 4s
P = 4 45
P = 4 9●5
P = 4 ●3 5
P = 12 5 meters