Unit: Roots and Radicals Module: Operations with Radical Expressions

Adding and Subtracting Radical Expressions

• The square root of a sum is not the sum of the square roots.

• Combine like radicals as like terms.

A very common error must be avoided.

In finding roots it is not acceptable to
separate an expression into the sum of
squares, then declare that the root is
the sum of the roots of those squares.
Finding roots involves undoing
multiplication, not addition.

Factor the number under each radical

so that at least one of the factors is a
perfect square.

Simplify the radicals with the perfect

square factors.

Simplify further by multiplying.

Last, combine the like terms. Terms

with the same radical are like terms.

When the root index divides into the

exponent, only the whole number
exponent with its base steps out of the
radical. Any remainder is left attached
to its base under the radical.
In the first term in this example, there
are only two xs and one y under cube-
root radical. Therefore, no xs or ys can
emerge as three are required for each
single unit that emerges from the
radical.
Once each term is simplified as much
as possible, notice the radicals are the
same in both terms. However, the
coefficients cannot be combined
because they are not like. The only
additional simplification possible is the
factoring of the radical.

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Copyright  2006, Thinkwell Corp. All Rights Reserved. 1927.doc –rev 03/28/2006

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 Unit: Roots and Radicals Module: Operations with Radical Expressions [Page 1 of 1]
Rationalizing Denominators
• The number 1 can be written as a fraction with any number or expression as the
numerator so long as the same number or expression is used as the denominator
(except for 0). In other words, 1 = 78/78 or (3a + b)/(3a + b), and so on.

• Clearing a denominator of radicals means to multiply the fraction by a version of

1. Your version of 1 will be the radical over itself. So, the denominator multiplies out
the radical to clear it, and the numerator gets a radical.

• The conjugate of a given binomial is a binomial that contains the same terms but
with the opposite sign connecting the two terms; i.e., (a - b) and (a + b) are
conjugates of each other. When you multiply a binomial by its conjugate, you are
left with the difference of two squares and no middle terms.

• FOIL: Multiply binomials by multiplying

• First terms together
• Outer terms together
• Inside terms
• Last terms, and adding all the products together
This guarantees that you multiply everything and get all your products without
losing any.

Mathematicians like to eliminate radicals from the

denominators of fractions.

It’s easy. Multiply it by your version of 1, 3 .

3

Now there is no radical in the denominator.

When the denominator is a binomial, you must be careful.

Your version of 1 must use the Conjugate of the
denominator. In this case, the conjugate is ( 2 − 1 ).

Remember: You are multiplying binomials and use your

FOIL properly so you get the right answer.

Now that you’ve cleared the radical from the

denominator, solve your equation.

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Copyright  2001, Thinkwell Corp. All Rights Reserved. 6853 –rev 05/18/2001