5 6 5

If we have 𝑥 this means, it is also equivalent to 𝑥 6 .

How about 3 ⋅ 𝑦? We may also write it as 3𝑦. It has a
3
somewhat same idea when we have then it can also
𝑦
3
be written as . While we also know that when the
𝑦
3
index and the exponent is the same, 𝑧 3 then we can
simply write it as 𝑧.

This time, we will use the laws of radicals we learned

previously in simplifying radicals.
Laws of Radicals:
𝒏
𝒂𝒃 = 𝒏
𝒂∙
𝒏
𝒃 Product Rule
𝒏
𝒏 𝒂 𝒂
= 𝒏 ,b>0 Quotient Rule
𝒃 𝒃
𝒎
𝒎
𝒂 =a Power Rule

Note:
𝒎 𝒏
𝒏
𝒂 = 𝒂𝒎
𝒎 𝒎 𝒏
𝒂 =
𝒏
𝒏
𝒂 = 𝒂𝒎
A radical expression is not considered in
simplest form when its denominator contains a
radical. The process of rewriting the quotient so
that the denominator doesn’t contain any
radical expression is called rationalizing the
denominator.
To rationalize the denominator, we multiply the
denominator by an appropriate expression
such that the product will be a perfect nth
root.
Simplifying Radical Expressions 4) 144𝑥 8 𝑦 6
4
4
1) 𝑎4 = 𝑎 = 𝒂𝟐 2 𝟒
= 𝟏𝟔 ∙ 𝟗 ∙ 𝒙𝟖 ∙ 𝒚𝟒 ∙ 𝒚𝟐
𝟒 𝟒
2 4 6 = 𝟏𝟔𝒙 𝒚 ∙ 𝟗𝒚𝟐
𝟖 𝟒
2) 4𝑎2 𝑏 4 𝑐 6 = 2𝑎 𝑏 𝑐 2 2 2 𝟐 𝟒
= 2𝒙 y 𝟗𝒚𝟐
= 2a𝒃𝟐 𝒄𝟑
3) −54𝑥 4 𝑦 8
3 18𝑥 3
5)
49𝑥𝑦 2
=
3
−27 2 𝑥 3 ∙ 𝑥 ∙ 𝑦 6 ∙ 𝑦 2
18𝑥 3
=
3 3 6 3
−27 𝑥 𝑦 ∙ 2𝑥𝑦 2 =
49𝑥𝑦 2
3 6
= (-3)𝑥 𝑦 ∙ 2𝑥𝑦 2
3 9𝑥 2 ∙ 2𝑥
3 3
=
𝟑 49𝑦 2 ∙ 𝑥
= -3x𝒚 𝟐 𝟐𝒙𝒚𝟐 𝟑𝒙 𝟐𝒙
=
note: since -27 = −3 3 𝟕𝒚 𝒙
Rationalize the denominator
1 1 5 𝟓
6) = ∙ = Multiply by
5
since 5 ∙ 5 = 25 = 5
5 5 5 𝟓 5
5
The quotient 5
has been rationalized

4 4 2𝑥
7) = ∙
3 2𝑥 3 2𝑥 2𝑥
4 2𝑥 4 2𝑥 4 2𝑥
= 2
= =
3 4𝑥 3(2𝑥) 6𝑥 Multiply by
2𝑥
since 2𝑥 ∙ 2𝑥 = 4𝑥 2 = 2x
2𝑥
𝟐 𝟐𝒙 Multiply 2x and 3.
= Remove common factors of 4 and 6.
𝟑𝒙

4
5𝑦 5𝑦 𝑥3
8) 4 =4 ∙4 3 Multiply by
4
𝑥3
since 4 4
𝑥 ∙ 𝑥3 =
4
𝑥4 = x
𝑥 𝑥 𝑥 4
𝑥3
4 3 𝟒 𝟑 Simplify both the numerator and
5𝑦 𝑥 𝟓𝒚 𝒙
= 4 4 = denominator.
𝑥 𝒙
 The denominator is a binomial, therefore we
3 3 𝒙 −𝟐 multiply it by its conjugate. The conjugate of
9) = ∙ a binomial is a binomial of the same terms
𝑥+2 𝑥+2 𝒙 −𝟐 but of different sign of its second term.

3 𝑥 −6 𝟑 𝒙 −𝟔
= = In this case, the conjugate of
2.
𝑥 + 2 is 𝑥 −

𝑥 2 −4 𝒙 −𝟒
Multiply the numerators then denominators and
simplify. Multiplying the conjugates would result
to 𝑥 2 + 0 + 0 − 4 or simply x − 4.
Which gives us a binomial without the radical
sign on both terms.

Write the numerator and denominator as two separate

5𝑦 square roots using the Quotient Rule for Radicals.
2𝑥 2𝑥
10) = ∙ To rationalize the denominator of a fraction containing a
5𝑦 5𝑦 5𝑦
square root, simply multiply both the numerator and
10𝑥𝑦 𝟏𝟎𝒙𝒚 denominator by the denominator over itself
= =
25𝑦 2 𝟓𝒚 The final answer should not contain any radicals in the
denominator. Also, any radicals in the numerator should be
simplified completely. And the fraction should be simplified
as well.
Simplify the following.
1) 18𝑥 9
4
2) 64𝑥 6 𝑦 8
5
3) 160𝑎5 𝑏11
4 1
4) 𝑥2
6 1
5) 64𝑥 4