SURDS

CLAIRE BABIRYE
cbabirye@utamu.ac.ug
 Surds

Simplifying a Surd

Rationalising a Surd

Conjugate Pairs
 Starter Questions

Use a calculator to find the values of :

1. 36 = 6 2. 144 = 12

3. 3
8 =3 4. 4
16 =2

5. 2  1.41 6. 3
21  2.76
The Laws Of Surds

Learning Intention Success Criteria

1. To explain what a surd is 1. Learn rules for surds.

and to investigate the
rules for surds. 1. Use rules to simplify surds.
 What is a Surd

36 = 6 144 = 12
The above roots have exact values
and are called rational

2  1.41 3
21  2.76
These roots do NOT have exact values
and are called irrational OR
Surds
 Note :
√2 + √3 do
√5
Adding & Subtracting Surds

Adding and subtracting a surd such as 2. It can be treated in the

x
same way as an “ ” variable in algebra. The following examples will
illustrate this point.

4 2+6 2 16 23 - 7 23
=10 2 =9 23

10 3 + 7 3 - 4 3 =13 3
 First Rule

a  b  ab
Examples

4  6  24 4  10  40

List the first 10 square numbers

1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100
 Simplifying Square Roots

Some square roots can be broken down into a mixture of integer

values and surds. The following examples will illustrate this idea:

To simplify 12 we must split 12 into factors

12 with at least one being a square number.

= 4 x 3 Now simplify the square root.

= 2 3
 Have a go !
Think square numbers

 45  32  72
= 9 x 5 = 16 x 2 = 4 x 18

= 35 = 42 = 2 x 9 x 2

= 2 x 3 x 2

= 62
 What Goes In The Box ?

Simplify the following square roots:

(1)  20 (2)  27 (3)  48

= 25 = 33 = 43

(4)  75 (5)  4500 (6)  3200

= 53 = 305 = 402

 Starter Questions

Simplify :

1. 20 = 2√5 2. 18 = 3√2

1 1 1 1
3.  = ¼ 4.  = ¼
2 2 4 4
The Laws Of Surds

Learning Intention Success Criteria

1. To explain how to 1. Know that √a x √a = a.

rationalise a fractional
surd. 2. To be able to rationalise the
numerator or denominator of
a fractional surd.
 Second Rule

a a  a
Examples

4 4  4 13  13  13
 Rationalising Surds

You may recall from your fraction work that the top line of a
fraction is the numerator and the bottom line the denominator.

2 numerator
=
3 denominator
Fractions can contain surds:

2 5 3 2
3 4 7 3- 5
 Rationalising Surds

If by using certain maths techniques we remove the surd from either

the top or bottom of the fraction then we say we are “rationalising the
numerator” or “rationalising the denominator”.

Remember the rule a a  a

This will help us to rationalise a surd fraction

Rationalising Surds

To rationalise the denominator multiply the top and bottom of the

fraction by the square root you are trying to remove:

3 3 5
=  ( 5 x 5 =  25 = 5 )

5 5 5
3 5
=
5
Rationalising Surds

Let’s try this one :

Remember multiply top and bottom by root you are trying to remove

3 3 7 3 7 3 7
= = =
2 7 2 7  7 2 7 14
Rationalising Surds

Rationalise the denominator

10 10  5 10 5 2 5
= = =
7 5 7 5  5 7 5 7
 What Goes In The Box ?

Rationalise the denominator of the following :

7 7 3 4 2 6 14 7 10
= = =
3 3 6 3 3 10 15

4 2 2 2 5 2 15 6 3 3 6
 = =
9 2 9
7 3 21
11 2
11
 Starter Questions
Conjugate Pairs.

Multiply out :

1. 3 3= 3
2. 14  14 = 14
3.  12 + 3  
12 - 3 = 12- 9 = 3
The Laws Of Surds
Conjugate Pairs.
Learning Intention
1. To explain how to use the
conjugate pair to
rationalise a complex
fractional surd.
Success Criteria
1. Know that
(√a + √b)(√a - √b) = a - b
2. To be able to use the
conjugate pair to rationalise
complex fractional surd.
Looks something like
the difference of
Rationalising Surds
two squares

Conjugate Pairs.

Look at the expression : ( 5  2)( 5  2)

This is a conjugate pair. The brackets are identical apart from the sign in
each bracket .

Multiplying out the brackets we get :

( 5  2)( 5  2) = 5 x5 - 2 5 + 2 5 - 4
=5-4 =1
When the brackets are multiplied out the surds ALWAYS cancel out
and we end up seeing that the expression is rational ( no root sign )
Rationalising Surds
Conjugate Pairs.

Rationalise the denominator in the expressions below by multiplying top

and bottom by the appropriate conjugate:

2 2( 5 + 1)
=
5-1 ( 5 - 1)( 5 + 1)

=
2( 5 + 1)
=
2( 5 + 1) ( 5 + 1)
=
( 5  5 - 5 + 5 - 1) (5 - 1) 2
Rationalising Surds
Conjugate Pairs.

Rationalise the denominator in the expressions below by multiplying top

and bottom by the appropriate conjugate:

7 7( 3 + 2)
=
( 3 - 2) ( 3 - 2)( 3 + 2)

7( 3 + 2)
= = 7( 3 + 2)
(3 - 2)
 What Goes In The Box

Rationalise the denominator in the expressions below :

5 5( 7 + 2) 3
= =3+ 6
( 7-2) 3 ( 3 - 2)

Rationalise the numerator in the expressions below :

6+4 =
-5 5 + 11 =
-6
6( 6 - 4) 7( 5 - 11)
12 7