How do you simplify (sqrt2+sqrt7)(sqrt 2+sqrt 7)?

1 Answer
May 4, 2017

See a solution process below:

Explanation:

This is a special form of the quadratic factored:

(a + b)^2 = (a + b)(a + b) = a^2 + 2ab + b^2

Substituting sqrt(2) for a and sqrt(7) for b gives:

(sqrt(2) + sqrt(7))(sqrt(2) + sqrt(7)) = sqrt(2)^2 + 2sqrt(2)sqrt(7) + sqrt(7)^2 =

2 + 2sqrt(2)sqrt(7) + 7

We can now use this rule for multiplying radicals to simplify the middle term:

sqrt(a) * sqrt(b) = sqrt(a * b)

2 + 2sqrt(2 * 7) + 7 = 2 + 2sqrt(14) + 7 =#

9 + 2sqrt(14)