Equations With Radical Expressions

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Solving Radical Equations: Introduction (page 1 of 6)

A "radical" equation is an equation in which at least one variable expression is stuck inside a radical, usually a square root. For instance, this is a radical equation:
...but this is not: The "radical" in "radical equations" can be any root, whether a square root, a cube root, or some other root. Most of the examples in what follows use square roots as the radical, but (warning!) you should not be surprised to see an occasional cube root or fourth root in your homework or on a test.
In general, you "solve" equations by "isolating" the variable; you isolate the variable by "undoing" whatever had been done to it. For instance, given
x + 2 = 5, you would solve by undoing the addition of the 2. That is, the addition
undone by applying the opposite: subtraction:
In the same manner, given something like 3x = 12, you would solve by undoing the multiplication by applying the opposite operation; namely, division:
When you have a variable inside a square root, you undo the root by doing the opposite: squaring. For instance, given , you would square both sides:
Issue 1:
There are a couple of issues that frequently arise when solving radical equations. The first is that you must square sides, not terms. Here is a classic example of why this is so: I start with a true equation and then square both sides:
3+4=7 (3 + 4)2 = 72 49 = 49
...but if I square the terms on the left-hand side:
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3+4=7 32 + 42 "=" 72 9 + 16 "=" 49 25 "=" 49 ...............Oops!

In each case, I started with a true statement; namely, 3 ended with a true statement: 49
+ 4 = 7. When I squared both sides, I also
= 49. But when I squared the terms, 32 + 42, I ended up with something that was not true: 25 "=" 49. The most common mistake that students make when solving
radical equations is squaring terms instead of sides. Don't make this mistake! You should always remember to:
** SQUARE SIDES, NOT TERMS ** Issue 2:

The other issue is that you will need to check your answers. You can always check your answers in a solved equation by plugging your answer back into the original equation and making sure that it fits. For instance, in my first example above, you can check that I got the correct answer by plugging 3 in for x and verifying that the equation is still true:
x+2=5 (3) + 2 = 5 5=5
You probably did some of this type of checking when you first starting solving linear equations. But eventually you developed your skills, and you quit checking. The difficulty with radical equations is that you may have done every step correctly, but your answer may still be wrong. This is because the very act of squaring the sides can create solutions that never existed before. For instance, I could say "2 = 2", and you would know that this is false. But look what happens when I square both sides:
(2)2 = 22 4=4
I started with something that was not true, squared both sides of it, and ended with something that was true. This is not good! A more pertinent example would be this: This "equation" is no more true than the "2 root can ever equal a negative number.
= 2" "equation" above, because no positive square
But suppose I hadn't noticed that this equation has no solution, and had proceeded to square both sides:
By squaring, I created a solution ("x = 9") that had not existed before and is in fact not valid. But I won't discover this error unless I remembered to check my solution:
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So the actual answer for the equation sqrt(x)
= 3 is "no solution".
There is another way to look at this "no solution" difficulty: When you are solving an equation, you can view the process as trying to find where two lines intersect on a graph.
For instance, when I was solving "x + 2 = 5" above, you could also say that I was trying to find the intersection of y = x + 2 (from the left-hand side of 1 x + 2 = 5) and y2 = 5 (from the right-hand side):
As you can see in the graph above, the two lines intersect at already found. Similarly, when I was solving the equation intersection of y = sqrt(x) and y = 4: 1 2
x = 3, which was the solution we had

, I was also trying to find the
As the above graph displays, the solution is at
x = 16.
But when I was trying to solve the equation:
...I was trying to find the intersection of and
y1 = sqrt(x)
y2 = 3, which do not intersect.
(Note: If you don't know how I got the curvy blue line in the graph at right, then review how to graphradical equations.)
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So what happened when I squared both sides? I also "squared" both line equations, and got the two new lines y1 = x and y2 = 9. And, as the graph shows, these two lines actually do intersect!
This is how squaring created a solution where there hadn't been a solution before. But the aftersquaring solution did not work in the before-squaring equation, because the original lines had not intersected. This illustrates why checking the solution showed that the real answer was "no solution". Warning: Many instructors do not to show many examples (in class or in the homework) of radical equations for which the solutions don't actually work. But then they'll put one of these on the test. You should expect a "no solution" radical equation on the test, so you do not want to forget to check your solutions!
** CHECK ALL SOLUTIONS **

Original URL: http://www.purplemath.com/modules/solverad.htm Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Stapel; All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use: http://www.purplemath.com/terms.htm
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Solving Radical Equations: Examples (page 2 of 6)

Solve the equation:
The two lines represented by the two sides of this equation are:
...and they graph as:
...so you can see that there should be a solution at or about x need to square each side:
= 10. To solve this algebraically, I
x 1 = (x 7)(x 7) x 1 = x2 14x + 49
2 The squared expressions can be graphed as the lines y = x 1 and y = x 14x 2 solutions of x 1 = x 14x + 49 are the intersection points of the two lines:
+ 49. The
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As you can see, the intersection point at x
= 10, from the first graph, is still there, but now a
second, extraneous, solution has appeared at x = 5! ("Extraneous", pronounced as "ek-STRAYnee-uss", in this context means "mathematically correct, but not relevant or useful, as far as the original question is concerned".) Continuing the solution:
x 1 = x2 14x + 49 0 = x2 15x + 50 0 = (x 5)(x 10) x = 5, x = 10

So I got the result that the second graph led me to expect, but I also know, from the first graph, that "x = 5" should not be a solution. This again illustrates why you always need to check your answers when solving radical equations: the very act of squaring has, in this case, produced an extra and incorrect "solution". Here's my check:
x = 5:
x = 10:
So the answer is x
= 10.
Solve the equation:
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Since this equation is in the form "(square root) = (number)", I can proceed directly to squaring both sides:
x 2 = 25 x = 27
This solution matches what I would expect from the graph of the two sides of the equation:
As you can see above, the lines:
y=5
...intersect at x
= 27, as the algebra had already shown me. Checking, I get:
So the solution is x
= 27.
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Solve the equation:
I could square both sides now, but look what I would get:
So, while squaring both sides at this point would not be "wrong", it would not be the most useful first step. Instead of squaring right away, I will first move the 2 over to the right-hand side, so the radical will be by itself on the left:
Now squaring both sides will work better:
Checking, I get:
So the solution is x Find the solution:
= 49.
This problem is a bit more messy than the previous two. I cannot get the radical by itself on one side, because there are two radicals. So how can I solve this algebraically? By squaring both sides twice. Here's what it looks like:
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Warning: Do NOT try to do these steps in your head. Take the time to write things out completely, so you won't make mistakes! Checking my solution, I get:
Hmm... According to this, there is no solution. I'll check the graph of the two lines:
...to see if it looks like there ought to be a solution:
No; according to the graph, it does not appear that these lines intersect (and calculus techniques can prove this). Why did it appear that there was a solution? Look at the graphs from the second squaring:
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y = x2 12x + 36 y = x2 3x
So I came up with an algebraic solution because I had accidentally created one by my repeated squaring. But that "solution" didn't check out in the original equation, so the actual answer is that there is no solution. On the other hand, look at the following...
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Find the solution:
This is the same as the previous equation, except that the sign between the radicals has been reversed. And look at the graphs of the left-hand and right-hand sides:
So this equation does have a solution, at around
x = 4. Here is the algebra:
...and here's the check:
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Since the solution works in the original equation, then the solution is valid, and the answer is:
x=4
Find the solution:
This already has the square root by itself on one side, so I can proceed directly to squaring both sides. However, a great many students will do the following when given this type of question:
<== (wrong!)
Do you see how the student erroneously "distributed" the square through the parentheses? Do you see how the student squared terms, not sides? In so doing, the student has arrived at a result which, technically speaking, means that every single value of x will work, since it appears that the equation is always true everywhere. (When would zero not be equal to zero, right?) But the graph of the equations of the two sides:
...shows otherwise:
And, from your experience graphing straight lines and radical functions, you should already have known that there was no way that a curvy radical line could possibly be the same as a straight line such as y = 3x + 2. So don't square terms; square sides! And take the time to write out the square properly:
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This matches the graph above. Now, checking:
So the solution is
x = 0.
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Solve the equation: Square both sides, being careful to write out the square on the right-hand side:
Then x = 8 and x = the original equation:
2. Are both of these solutions valid? Graphing the lines for either side of
...I get the following graph:
It appears that both solutions are valid. Here's the check:
x = 8:
x = 2:
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So the solution is
x = 8 or x = 2.
The following examples are not complete. I'll leave the checking to you! Solve: This equation will have to be squared twice in order to solve it:
It appears that the solutions are x = 5 and x valid. To find out which one, check them both. Solve:
= 0. However, only one of these solutions is actually
This equation will also have to be squared twice. Don't forget to square that square root on the right-hand side!
3 in front of the
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To solve this, use the Quadratic Formula. Then check your answers, because only one is actually valid. Solve: This one is actually simpler than the two previous examples, because the two square roots are multiplied together, rather than added or subtracted. So this equation will need to be squared only once:
Then the solutions are x = 9 and x = 16. But x cannot equal 9, because this would put negatives inside both radicals in the original equation. Now you check the other solution, to see if it might work. Solve: Since there is a square root inside a square root, I'll have to square twice:
Using the Quadratic Formula, I get solutions of x
= 401/144 and x = 3. Check these, as only one is a
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valid solution.
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Solving Radical Equations: Higher-Index Examples (page 6 of 6)

Solve the equation: Since this is a CUBE root, rather than a square root, I undo the radical by cubing both sides of the equations, rather than squaring:
I must remember to check my solution:
3 = 3 ...yes!
So the solution is
x = 16.
Solve the equation: (Note that the "plus one" is outside the cube root.) Since this is a cube root, I'll cube both sides to undo the radical. But first, I want to isolate the radical:
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Remember to check the solution:
So the solution is
x = 1/3.
Solve the equation: Since this is a fourth root, I'll raise both sides to the fourth power:
Then I'll check my answers:
x = 1/2:
I'll leave the other check for you. However, the graph does indicate that both solutions are valid.
Graphing the left- and right-hand sides of the original equation:
...you get the picture at right:
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Zooming in, you can see that the lines seem to intersect...
...and, zooming in some more, you can see the two solutions:
Remember that you can't have negatives inside a fourth root. That's why the green line is broken into pieces like that: you 4 3 can only graph where x + 4x x is non-negative, which occurs in three pieces, where the graph is at or above the x-axis.
Then the solution is
x = 1/2, 1/3.
Since cube roots can have negative numbers inside them, you don't tend to have the difficulty with them regarding checking the answers that you did with square roots. However, you will have those difficulties with fourth roots, sixth roots, eighth roots, etc; namely, any even-index root. Be careful! You may or may not be required to show solutions graphically, but if you have a graphing calculator (so drawing the graphs is just a matter of quickly punching a few buttons), you can use the graphs to check your work on tests. In any case, be careful with your squaring ("Square sides, not terms!"), do each step carefully, and don't forget to "Check your solutions!"
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Copyright 2009 Elizabeth Stapel; All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use: http://www.purplemath.com/terms.htm
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Equations With Radical Expressions

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Equations With Radical Expressions

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http://www.purplemath.com/modules/printpage.cgi?path=/modules/solve...

Solving Radical Equations: Introduction (page 1 of 6)

3+4=7 32 + 42 "=" 72 9 + 16 "=" 49 25 "=" 49 ...............Oops!

+ 4 = 7. When I squared both sides, I also

** SQUARE SIDES, NOT TERMS ** Issue 2:

x+2=5 (3) + 2 = 5 5=5

= 2" "equation" above, because no positive square

So the actual answer for the equation sqrt(x)

x = 3, which was the solution we had

As the above graph displays, the solution is at

But when I was trying to solve the equation:

...I was trying to find the intersection of and

y2 = 3, which do not intersect.

** CHECK ALL SOLUTIONS **

Solving Radical Equations: Examples (page 2 of 6)

...and they graph as:

= 10. To solve this algebraically, I

As you can see, the intersection point at x

= 10, from the first graph, is still there, but now a

x 1 = x2 14x + 49 0 = x2 15x + 50 0 = (x 5)(x 10) x = 5, x = 10

Solve the equation:

As you can see above, the lines:

= 27, as the algebra had already shown me. Checking, I get:

Solving Radical Equations: Examples (page 3 of 6)

Now squaring both sides will work better:

So the solution is x Find the solution:

...to see if it looks like there ought to be a solution:

Solving Radical Equations: Examples (page 4 of 6)

So this equation does have a solution, at around

x = 4. Here is the algebra:

...and here's the check:

This matches the graph above. Now, checking:

Solving Radical Equations: Examples (page 5 of 6)

Then x = 8 and x = the original equation:

...I get the following graph:

It appears that both solutions are valid. Here's the check:

= 0. However, only one of these solutions is actually

Using the Quadratic Formula, I get solutions of x

= 401/144 and x = 3. Check these, as only one is a

Solving Radical Equations: Higher-Index Examples (page 6 of 6)

I must remember to check my solution:

Remember to check the solution:

Then I'll check my answers:

Graphing the left- and right-hand sides of the original equation:

...you get the picture at right:

Then the solution is

Original URL: http://www.purplemath.com/modules/solverad6.htm

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SQUARE SIDES, NOT TERMS Issue 2:

CHECK ALL SOLUTIONS