(Back to the tutorial on adding, subtracting and multiplying radical expressions)

Intermediate Algebra
Answer/Discussion to Practice Problems
on Adding, Subtracting and Multiplying 
Radical Expressions


 

Answer/Discussion to 1a


 
Step 1: Simplify the radicals.

 
The first radical is already in simplest form.

 
The 63 in the second radical has a factor that we can take the square root of. 

Can you think of what that factor is?

Let's see what we get when we simplify the second radical:


 
*Rewrite 63a as (9)(7a)
*Use Prod. Rule of Radicals
*Square root of 9 is 3

 
Step 2: Combine like radicals.

 
*Combine like radicals

 
(return to problem 1a)

 


 

Answer/Discussion to 1b


 
Step 1: Simplify the radicals.

 
We can take the cube root of the 27 in the first radical:

 

*Use Prod. Rule of Radicals

*Cube root of 27 is 3


 
The second radical is already in simplest form.

 
Step 2: Combine like radicals.

 
*Combine like radicals

 
(return to problem 1b)


 

Answer/Discussion to 2a


 
Step 1: Multiply the radical expression

AND


 
Step 2: Simplify the radicals.

 
We can apply the FOIL method found in Tutorial 26 (Multiplying Polynomials) to this example:

 
*Use Prod. Rule of Radicals

 


 
(return to problem 2a)

 


 

Answer/Discussion to 2b


 
Step 1: Multiply the radical expression

AND


 
Step 2: Simplify the radicals.

 
Using distributive property twice we get:

 

*Use Prod. Rule of Radicals

 


 
(return to problem 2b)

 


(Back to the tutorial on adding, subtracting and multiplying radical expressions)


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Last revised on Jan. 8, 2002 by Kim Seward.