Addition and Subtraction of Radicals

Key Questions

  • How do you add and subtract radicals?

    Answer:

    To add and subtract radicals, they must be the same radical

    Explanation:

    Given: How do you add and subtract radicals?

    To add and subtract radicals, they must be the same radical

    Example1: #sqrt(5) + 2 sqrt(5) = 3 sqrt(5)#

    Example 2: #6 sqrt(2) - 2 sqrt(2) = 4 sqrt(2)#

    If you can simplify the square root by using perfect squares to make them the same radical, do it using #sqrt(m*n) = sqrt(m)*sqrt(n)#

    Example 3: #6 sqrt(8) - 2 sqrt(2)#

    Simplify #sqrt(8): " "sqrt(8) = sqrt(4) * sqrt(2) = 2 sqrt(2)#

    #6 sqrt(8) - 2 sqrt(2) = 6*2 sqrt(2) - 2 sqrt(2) = 12sqrt(2) - 2 sqrt(2) = 10 sqrt(2)#

    marfre · 1 · Apr 6 2018
  • How is a radical considered a "like term"?

    Like terms are terms whose variables are the same. If both terms do not have variables, then they are still like terms.

    For example,

    #4x# and #293x# are like terms.

    #5xy# and #7y# are not like terms.

    #sqrt 5 x# and # 65x# are like terms.

    #56xy^2# and #7xy# are not like terms.

    #5# and #9284# are like terms.

    As to your question, radicals on their own are like terms because they all do not have a variable.

    #sqrt 43# and #sqrt 53# are like terms, as there are no variables on both of them.

    Jake L. · 1 · Jan 15 2015

Questions

Radicals and Geometry Connections