7.

1 Radicals
Radical Expressions
Finding a root of a number is the inverse operation of raising
a number to a power.
This symbol is the radical or the radical sign
radical sign

index
n

radicand

The expression under the radical sign is the radicand.

The index defines the root to be taken.

7.1 Radicals
Radical Expressions

The above symbol represents the positive or principal

root of a number.

The symbol represents the negative root of a number.

7.1 Radicals
Square Roots
A square root of any positive number has two roots one is
positive and the other is negative.
If a is a positive number, then
a is the positive square root of a and
a is the negative square root of a.

Examples:

100 10
5
25

7
49

36 6
0.81 0.9

x8 x 4

9 non-real #

7.1 Rdicals
Radicals
Cube Roots
3

A cube root of any positive number is positive.

A cube root of any negative number is negative.
Examples:
3

27 3

8 2

x x

4
x
x

12

5
125
3

4
64

7.1 Radicals
nth Roots
An nth root of any number a is a number whose nth power is a.
Examples:

34 81

81 3

2 16

16 2

32 2

32

7.1 Radicals
nth Roots
An nth root of any number a is a number whose nth power is a.
Examples:
5

1 1

16 Non-real number

1 Non-real number

27 3

7.2 Rational Exponents

m
n

Definition of a :

or

a
n

The value of the numerator represents the power of the

radicand.
The value of the denominator represents the index or root of
the expression.
Examples:

25
4

43

2 x 1

27

25

2 x 1

64
7

27

7.2 Rational Exponents

m
n

Definition of a :

or

More Examples:

27

27

3
2

27

1
729

1
9

or

27

27

3
2

1
3

27

1
2
3
2

1
9

7.2 Rational Exponents

Definition of a

mn

1
a

or

or

Examples:

25

12

1
25

1
3

1
25

1
5

or

x
3

a
n

7.2 Rational Exponents

Use the properties of exponents to simplify each expression
4

x x
x
x
4

1
10

81x

12

x x
3

3 1
5 10

3x

4 5
3 3

1
12

10 10

3x

10

1 8
12 12

12

7.3 Simplifying Rational Expressions

Product Rule for Square Roots
If a and b are real numbers, then a b a b
Examples:

4 10 4 10 2 10

40

7 75 7 25 3 7 25 3 7 5 3 35 3
17

17

16x
3

16x

8
4
x
x
16 x x
16

8 2x x 2x
15

5 3

2x

7.3 Simplifying Rational Expressions

Quotient Rule for Square Roots

If

a and b are real numbers and b 0, then

Examples:

16
16 4

81
81 9

45

49

45

49

25

9 5
3 5

7
7

2
2

5
25

a
a

b
b

7.3 Simplifying Rational Expressions

If

a and b are real numbers and b 0, then

15

3 5
3 5

3
3

90

9 10

a
a

b
b

9 2
5
9 2 5

3 5
2
2

7.3 Simplifying Rational Expressions

Examples:

x
11

x5 x

x x
10

18x 4 9 2x 4 3 x 2 2
27

8
x
7

7y

25

27
x

7 y 6 y
25

9 3
x

3 3

x4

7y
5

7.3 Simplifying Rational Expressions

Examples:
3

88

10

27

3
2
11
8 11

10

3
27

10
3

23
3
3 6
3mn
n
3
m
n
n

27m n

81

3 7

81

3
8

27 3

33 3
2

7.3 Simplifying Rational Expressions

One Big Final Example
5

64x y z
12

4 18

32 2x10 x 2 y 4 z15 z 3
2 3 5

2x z

4 3

2x y z

7.4 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical

Expressions
Review and Examples:

5 x 3x 8x
12 y 7 y 5y
6 11 9 11 15 11
7 3 7 2 7

7.4 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical

Expressions
Simplifying Radicals Prior to Adding or Subtracting

27 75

9 3 25
3 3 3 5 3 8 3

3 20 7 45 3 4 5 7 9
5 3 2 5 7
3 5
6 5 21 5 15 5
36 48 4 3 9 6 16 3 4 3 3
6 4 3 4 3 3 38 3

7.4 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical

Expressions
Simplifying Radicals Prior to Adding or Subtracting

9 x 36 x x
4

3x 6 x x x x
2

2
3
x
5x x
3x 6 x x x x
2

10 3 81 p 6 3 24 p 6
10 3 p

23

3 2 p

23

10 3 27 3 p 6 3 8
3 p6

3 30 p
28 p

23

23

3 2p

23

7.4 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical

Expressions
If

a and b are real numbers, then a b a b

7 7 49 7
5 2 10
6 3 18 9 2 3 2
10 x 2 x 20x 2 4 5x 2 2 x 5

7.4 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical

Expressions
7

5x

7 7 7 3 49 21

7 3

7 21

x 3 5

5 x 3 25 x x 5 3 5 x
2

x 5 15 x

x 5

x 3

x 3x 5 x 15
2

x 2 3x 5 x 15

7.4 Adding, Subtracting, Multiplying Radical

Expressions

36

3 6

5x 4

9 6 3 6 3 36 3 36
33

5x 4

5x 4

25 x 4 5 x 4 5 x 16
2

5 x 8 5 x 16