Simplifying Radicals

Front

What is a radical?

Back

A radical is a symbol that represents the root of a number, most commonly the square root. For example, the square root of 9 is represented as √9.

Front

What does it mean to simplify a radical?

Back

Simplifying a radical means to express it in its simplest form, removing any perfect square factors from under the radical sign.

Front

What is the square root of 16?

Back

4

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Back

3n√5n

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Back

5x^2√2

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Back

3c^4√2

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Back

4x^3√2

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Back

8x^2z^3

Front

What is a perfect square?

Back

A perfect square is a number that can be expressed as the square of an integer. For example, 1, 4, 9, 16, and 25 are perfect squares.

Front

How do you identify perfect square factors in a radical?

Back

To identify perfect square factors, factor the number under the radical into its prime factors and look for pairs of the same factor.