Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice

3/25/14mm-fd
571

Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
Square roots with variables are simplified in the same manner. For example,

2
6 2 3 3
9 3 3 x x x . Likewise,

2
4 2 2
12 4 3 2 3 x x x .

Practice Set 1:
1.
8
x 2.
10
x 3.
9
y 1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
4.
13
x 5,
6 6
y x 6.
4 10
y x 4. __________
5. __________
6. __________
7.
6
9x 8.
10
16y 9.
2
36x 7. __________
8. __________
9. __________
10.
9 3
y x 11.
3 13
b a 12. 3
5
32y 10. __________
11. __________
12. __________
13.
5
27x 14.
5
80y 15.
5 9
48 y x 13. __________
14. __________
15. __________
16.
4 2
96 y x 17.
6 2
36 b a 18.
16 4
100 y x 16. __________
17. __________
18. __________
19.
5 3
24 y x 20.
5 9
90 y x 21. 4
3 6
16 b a 19. __________
20. __________
21. __________
22. 3
5 2
81 b a 23. x
4 2
y x 24. y
8 5
y x 22. __________
23. __________
24. __________

Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571

25. 3
2 3
9 b a 26. 4
9 6
36 b a 27. 4y
2 3 2
32 y x 25. __________
26. __________
27. __________
28.
4
) 5 ( 100 a 29.
4
) ( 64 y x 30.
2
) 3 ( 49 x 28. __________
29. __________
30. __________
31.
2
) 1 ( 4 x 32. 36 12
2
x x 33. 25 10
2
b b 31. __________
32. __________
33. __________

Practice Set 1Answers

1. x
4

2. x
5

3. y
4
y
4. x
6
x
5. x
3
y
3

6. x
5
y
2

7. 3x
3

8. 4y
5

9. 6x
10. xy
4
xy
11. a
6
b ab
12. 12y
2
y 2
13. 3x
2
x 3
14. 4y
2
y 5
15. 4x
4
y
2
xy 3
16. 4xy
2
6
17. 6ab
3

18. 10x
2
y
8

19. 2xy
2
xy 6
20. 3x
4
y
2
xy 10
21. 16a
3
b b
22. 27ab
2
b
23. x
2
y
2

24. x
2
y
5
x
25, 9ab a
26. 24a
3
b
4
b
27. 16xy
3
y 2
28. 10 (a + 5)
2

29. 8 (x + y)
2

30. 7 (x 3)
31. 2 (x 1)
32. x + 6
33. b 5





Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571

Higher index radicals can be simplified in the same manner.
For example,
10 9 3 3 3 3
40 8 5 2 5 x x x x x .

Another way works well with complicated radicals.
3 3 2 6 22 2 6 22
a b c a b c
4
625 5 .
Next, divide the exponents inside the radical by the index. The quotient becomes the exponent
on the outside and the remainder becomes the exponent inside the radical as seen below:

1exponent outside radical
For the
3
5 : 3 4 so you get
1 1 3 3
5 5 or just 5 5
3
1exponent inside radical

Similarly for the
2
a : 0exponent outside radical
3 2 so you get
0 2 2 3 3
or just a a a
0
2exponent inside radical

And for the
6
b : 2exponent outside radical
3 6 so you get
2 0 2 3
or just b b b
6
0exponent inside radical

And finally,
22
c : 7exponent outside radical
3 22 so you get
7 1 7 3 3
or just c c c c
21
1exponent inside radical

Putting them altogether, the final answer:
2 7 2 3
5b c 5a c


Practice Set 2:

1.
3 14
x
2.
3
5 2
y x
3.
3 6 3
b a


4.
4 23
x
5.
5
16
y
Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571

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-under

6.
10 26 13
b a
7.
8 32
x
8.
5 13 5
t s
9.
4
20 13
y x
10.
3 8 12 7
c b a

Practice Set 2Answers:
1.
4
2
12
14 3
3 2 4
x x
2.
0
2
0
2 3
1
2
3
5 3
3
2 2
3
2 1 3 2 0
y x y y y x x
3.
1
0
3
3 3
2
0
6
6 3
2
ab
4.
5
3
20
23 4
4 3 5
x x
5.
3
1
15
16 5
5
3
y y
6.
5
3
10
13 10
2
6
20
26 10
10 6 3 2 10 6 2 10 3
b a ab b b a a
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- in

Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571

7.
4
0
32
32 8
4
x
8.
1
0
5
5 5
2
3
10
13 5
5 3 2
t t s
9.
3
1
12
13 4
5
0
20
20 4
5
4
3
y x x =
4 5 3
x y x
10.
2
1
6
7 3
4
0
12
12 3
2
2
6
8 3
3 2 2 4 2 3 2 2 4 3 2
ac c b a c c b a a
Practice Set 3:

1.
3 13
16x

2.
4
6 9
y x

3.
5 22
64x

4.
3
b
a


5.
4 12
3

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- in

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-under

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-under

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-under

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-under

Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571

6.
4
81
32a


7.
3
8 9
27 y x

8.
2 3
2 5 3 3
4 3
a b
ab ab


9.
3 17
24x

10.
4
7 14
y w

Practice Set 3Answers:

1.
3 13
16x =
4 3
2
3 13
x


2.
4
6 9
y x =
4 9
x
4
6
y
= x
2 4
x y
4
2
y
= x
2
y
4
2
xy


3.
5 22
x 64 =
5
64
5 22
x
=
6 5
2
5 22
x
= 2
5
2 x
4

5 2
x
= 2x
4

5 2
x 2



4.
3
b
a
=
3
3
b
a

3 2
3 2
b
b

=
3 3
3 2
b
ab

=
b
ab
3 2

Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571



5.
4 12
3 = 3
3
= 27


6.
4
81
a 32
=
4
4 4
81
a 32


=
5 4 4
2
3
a

=
3
a 2 2
4



7.
3
8 9
y x 27 =
3
27
9 3
x
3
8
y
= 3 x
3
y
2

3
2
y
=
3 2
3x y
3
2
y


8.
3 5 3 2
3 2
ab 3 ab 4
b a


=
3 7 2
3 2
b a 12
b a


=
b a 12 b
b a
3 2 2
3 2


=
2 3
2 2 3 3
1
12
a b
b a b

=
3 2
12 b
1

3 2
3 2
12
12


=
3 3 2
3
12 b
144


Simplifying Radicals with VariablesExplanation & Practice
3/25/14mm-fd
571

=
2
3
b 12
18 8


=
3 3
2
2 18
12b

=
2
3
b 12
18 2


=
2
3
b 6
18



9.
3 17
x 24 =
3
24
3 17
x

2
3
3 x
5 3 2
x
= 2x
5 3 2
x 3


10.
4
7 14
y w =
4 14
w
4
7
y

= w
3 4 2
w y
4
3
y

= w
3
y
4
3 2
y w