Lesson 4

Addition and
Subtraction of Radicals
Learning
Goals:
At the end of this lesson, the learners should be able
to;
a. add and subtract radical expressions;
b. comprehend the need to reduce the radicals before
they can be combined; and
c.acquire the skills of performing the operations on
radicals and performing our duties to the people
entrusted to our care.
Activity #1
Combine the following terms.
1) 25 – 17 + 30 + 11 – 20
= 29
2) 15x – 3y + 12y – 5x
= 10x + 9y
3) (5x2 – 3x + 12) + (3x2 + 7x - 19)
= 8x2 + 4x – 7
4) 4a2b – 5ab2+ 3ab – a2b + 2ab + 7ab2 + 2cd
= 3a2b + 2ab2 + 5ab + 2cd
5) - + -
= ?????
 Similar Versus Dissimilar Radicals
- Radicals are similar if they have the same index and radicand.
- Radicals are dissimilar if they have different indices or radicands.

Examples:
Similar Radicals
1) ; 3 ;
2) ; ;
Dissimilar Radicals
3) ; ;
4) ; ;
 How to add/subtract radicals??

--- Just like Polynomials, addition and

subtraction of radicals can only be performed
on similar terms.
Examples:
1) 3+ 5
=8
2) 5 + 3 - 3 + 4
=2+7
3) 12 - 3 + 7 - 5
=7+4
4) + -
=4+5–6
=3
5) -
= (( – ()()
=5-3
=2
6) 3 + 6 - 2 + 4 - 7
= 3(5) + 6(7) – 2(4) + 4(3) – 7(2)
= 15 + 42 – 8 + 12 – 14
= (15 + 42 + 12) + (-8 – 14)
= 69 – 22
= 47