Unit 3B

Radical Expressions and

Rational Exponents
 Radicals
Radical Expressions
Finding a root of a number is the inverse operation of raising
a number to a power.

This symbol is the radical or the radical sign

index radical sign

n
a radicand

The expression under the radical sign is the radicand.

The index defines the root to be taken.
 Radicals
Radical Expressions

The above symbol represents the positive or principal

root of a number.


The symbol represents the negative root of a number.
 Radicals
Square Roots
A square root of any positive number has two roots – one is
positive and the other is negative.
If a is a positive number, then

a is the positive square root of a and

 a is the negative square root of a.

Examples:
100  10  36  6 x8  x 4
25 5
 0.81  0.9 9  non-real #
49 7
 Radicals
Rdicals
Cube Roots

3
a
A cube root of any positive number is positive.
A cube root of any negative number is negative.
Examples:
125 5
3
27  3 3
8  2 3 
64 4

4
3
x  x
3 3
x 
12
x
 Radicals
nth Roots
An nth root of any number a is a number whose nth power is a.
Examples:

34  81 4
81  3

2  16
4 4
16  2

 2 
5
 32 5
32  2
 Radicals
nth Roots
An nth root of any number a is a number whose nth power is a.
Examples:
5
1  1

4
16  Non-real number

6
1  Non-real number

3
27  3
 Rational Exponents
Definition of a :
m
n n
a m
or  a
n
m

The value of the numerator represents the power of the

radicand.
The value of the denominator represents the index or root of
the expression.
Examples:
1 1
25 2 25 5 27 3 3
27 3
3
4 2 43 64 8

 2 x  1 2
7 7
 2 x  1 2
 Rational Exponents
Definition of a :
m
n n
a m
or  a
n
m

More Examples:
2 2
3 2
 1  3 1 3
1 3
1 1
  2
 27  27 3 3
27 2 3
729 9

or

 1 
2
3 1
2
3
 13
2
1 2
1
 
 27  27
2
3
 3
27  2
 3 2
9
 Rational Exponents
 mn 1 1 1
Definition of a : or or
a
m
n n
a m
 a
n
m

Examples:

 12
1 1 1
25 1
25 2 25 5

2
1 1 1
x or
 x
3 2 2
3 2 3
x 3
x
 Rational Exponents
Use the properties of exponents to simplify each expression
4 5 4 5 9
x x 3 3
x 3 3
x 3 x3

3
x 5
3 1 6 1 5 1
1 x 5 10
x 10 10
x 10
x 2
x 10

2 1
4
81x 2
3x 4 3x 2

1 2 1 8 9 3
12
x x 3 2
x 12
x 3
x 12 12
x 12
x 4
 Simplifying Rational Expressions
Product Rule for Square Roots
If a and b are real numbers, then a  b  a  b
Examples:
40  4 10  4 10  2 10

7 75  7 25  3  7 25 3  7  5 3  35 3
8
16x17
 16 x x 
16
4 x x

5 3 2
3
16x 17
 3
8  2x x  2x
15 2
2x
 Simplifying Rational Expressions

Quotient Rule for Square Roots

a a
If a and b are real numbers and b  0, then 
b b
Examples:
16 16 4 2 2 2
   
81 81 9 25 25 5

45 45 95 3 5
  
49 49 7 7
 Simplifying Rational Expressions
a a
If a and b are real numbers and b  0, then 
b b
15 35 3 5
   5
3 3 3

90 9 10 9 25 9 2 5
    3 5
2 2 2 2
 Simplifying Rational Expressions
Examples:

x 
11
x x 
10
x5 x

18x 4  9  2x 4  3 x 2 2

27 27 93 3 3
8
  
x x 8
x 8
x4

7y7
7  y6 y y 3
7y
 
25 25 5
 Simplifying Rational Expressions
Examples:
3
3
88  3
8 11  2 11

3 3
10 10 10
3  
27 3
27 3

3
27m n 
3 7
3 3
m 3 6
n n  3mn 23
n

81 3
81 3
27  3 33 3
3   
8 3
8 2 2
Simplifying Rational Expressions

One Big Final Example

5
64x y z 
12 4 18

5
32  2x10 x 2 y 4 z15 z 3 

2 3 5 2 4 3
2x z 2x y z
 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical
Expressions
Review and Examples:

5 x  3 x  8x
12 y  7 y  5y

6 11  9 11  15 11

7  3 7  2 7
 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical
Expressions
Simplifying Radicals Prior to Adding or Subtracting

27  75  9  3  25  3  3 3  5 3  8 3

3 20  7 45  3 4  5  7 9  5  3  2 5  7  3 5 
6 5  21 5  15 5

36  48  4 3  9  6  16  3  4 3  3 

6 4 3  4 3 3  38 3
 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical
Expressions
Simplifying Radicals Prior to Adding or Subtracting

9 x  36 x  x 
4 3 3
3x  6 x x  x x 
2 2 2

3x  6 x x  x x 
2
3 x 2
 5x x

10 3 81 p 6  3 24 p 6  10 3 27  3 p 6  3 8  3 p 6 

10  3 p 23
3 2p 23
3 30 p 23
3 2p 23
3
23
28 p 3
 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical
Expressions
If a and b are real numbers, then a  b  a  b

7 7  49  7

5 2  10

6  3  18  9  2  3 2

10 x  2 x  20x  4  5x 
2 2
2x 5
 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical
Expressions
7  7 3  7 7 7 3  49  21 
7  21

5x  x 3 5   5 x  3 25 x  x 5  3  5 x 
2

x 5  15 x

 x 5  x 3   x  3x  5 x  15 
2

x 2  3x  5 x  15
 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical
Expressions

 36  3 6  9  6 3  6 3  36  3  36 
33

    
2
5x  4  5x  4 5x  4 

25 x  4 5 x  4 5 x  16 
2

5 x  8 5 x  16
 Dividing Radical Expressions

1

6

4

3 2