SIMPLIFYING RADICAL

EXPRESSIONS

Objectives
The student will be able to:
1. simplify square roots, and
2. simplify radical expressions.
Designed by Skip Tyler, Varina High School
If x2 = y then x is a square root of y.
In the expression 64 ,
is the radical sign and
64 is the radicand.

1. Find the square root: 64

8
2. Find the square root:  0.04
-0.2
3. Find the square root:  121
11, -11
4. Find the square root: 441
21
25
5. Find the square root: 
81
5

9
 Perfect Square Factor * Other Factor

48 = 16 * 3 = 4 3
LEAVE IN RADICAL FORM

80 = 16 * 5 = 4 5

50 = 25 * 2 = 25 2

125 = 25 * 5 = 5 5

450 = 225 * 2 = 15 2
 1. Simplify 147
Find a perfect square that goes into 147.

147 = 49 * 3 = 7 3
 2. Simplify 605
Find a perfect square that goes into
605.

605 = 121 5 = 11 5
 Simplify 72

a) 2 18.

b) 3 8
.

c) 6 2
.

d) 36 2
.
What numbers are perfect squares?
1•1=1
2•2=4
3•3=9
4 • 4 = 16
5 • 5 = 25
6 • 6 = 36
49, 64, 81, 100, 121, 144, ...
How do you simplify variables in the radical?
7
x
Look at these examples and try to find the pattern…
x  x
1
What is the answer to 7
x ?
x x
2
x x
7 3
x
x x x
3

As a general rule, divide the

x x
4 2
exponent by two. The
x x
5 2
x remainder stays in the
radical.
x x
6 3
 4. Simplify 49x 2

Find a perfect square that goes into 49.

  𝟐
√ 𝟒𝟗 ∙ √ 𝒙 = 7x
25
5. Simplify 8x
  𝟐𝟒 12
√𝟒 ∙ 𝟐 ∙ 𝒙 ∙𝒙 = 2x 2x
 Simplify 9x 36

a) 3x6
b) 3x 18

c) 9x6
d) 9x 18
6. Simplify 6  10
Multiply the radicals.
60
 
√ 𝟒 ∙ 𝟏𝟓
2 15
 7. Simplify2 14  3 21
Multiply the coefficients and radicals.

6 294 = 6 49  6
= 6 49  6
= 67 6

= 42 6
   𝟓 𝟔 𝟏𝟓
8. Simplify𝟔 𝟑𝟐 𝒎 𝒏 √
  𝟓 𝟔 𝟏𝟓   𝟓 𝟓 𝟓 𝟏𝟓
𝟔 √ 𝟑𝟐 𝒎 𝒏 ¿ 𝟔 √ 𝟐 ∙𝒎 ∙ 𝒎 ∙ 𝒏
  𝟑𝟓
¿ 𝟔 ∙ 𝟐𝒎 𝒏 √𝒎
  𝟑 𝟓
¿ 𝟏𝟐𝒎 √𝒎
   𝟒
√
Simplify 𝟒𝟖 𝒙

2
a) 4x 3.

4
b) 4 3x
.

2
c) x 48
.

4
d) 48x
.
How do you know when a radical
problem is done?
1. No radicals can be simplified.
Example:
8
2. There are no fractions in the radical.
Example: 1
4
3. There are no radicals in the denominator.
Example: 1
5
 108
8. Simplify.
3
Divide the radicals. Uh oh…
There is a
108 radical in the
denominator!

Whew! It
3
simplified!
36
6
 8 2
9. Simplify
2 8
4 1 Uh oh…
Another
4 radical in the
denominator!
Whew! It simplified 4
again! I hope they
all are like this! 2
2
 5 Uh oh…
10. Simplify There is a
7 fraction in
the radical!
Since the fraction doesn’t reduce, split the radical up.

5 5 7 35 35
   
7 7 7 49 7

How do I get rid Multiply by the “fancy one”

of the radical in to make the denominator a
the denominator? perfect square!
 THANK YOU !!!!

“Never stop learning,

because life never stops teaching.”

HAPPY
LEARNING!!!