SQUARE ROOTS

INTRODUCTION

In this lesson we will see how powers and roots are related. We
use the idea of square roots to reverse squared numbers.
For example if we have
x2 = 9
Then x = 3 is solution but x = 3 is also solution to the above
equation. Then both 3 and 3 are square roots of 9.

We use the radical symbol 0 to signify roots. Therefore, 9 = 3
To generalise, if we have a R+ , then the equation x2 = a can be
solved as
x= a

If a = 0, the equation x2 = a is equivalent to x = 0.

If a < 0, the equation x2 = a has no real solutions.

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 SQUARE ROOTS

INTRODUCTION
There are two square roots of a, which solve this equation. The
positive square root is called the principal square root.
Taking the square root of a number reverses the operation of
squaring
The expression 9 has a value of 3, but the equation x2 = 9 has
two solutions x = 3 and x = 3.

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RULES ON POWERS
1 Exponent definition
Let a R and n N

an = |a a {z
a a}
n factors

2 Negative exponent
Let a R and a 6= 0 and n N
 n
n 1 1 1 1 1 1
a = = n =
a a a
| a a
{z a
}
n factors

3 Product rule
If m N and n N
am an = am+n
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RULES ON POWERS
4 Quotient rule
If m N and n N
am
= amn
an
5 Power rule
If m N and n N
(am )n = amn
6 Rule for negative bases
A negative base raised to an odd power is negative.
A negative base raised to an even power is positive.

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ROOTS AND VARIABLES

Consider the result of squaring a power of x.
(x1 )2 = x2 , (x2 )2 = x4 , (x3 )2 = x6 and (x4 )2 = x8
When a power of x is squared, the exponent is multiplied by 2. So
any even power of x is a perfect square.
Since taking a square root reverses the operation of squaring, the
square root of an even power of x is found by dividing the
exponent by 2.
If x 0, we have

x2 = x, x4 = x2 , x6 = x3 and x8 = x4
but if x < 0

x2 = x, x4 = x2 , x6 = x3 and x8 = x4

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 SQUARE ROOTS

ROOTS AND VARIABLES

What other operation on a number does equal the number if it is
positive and equal its opposite if it is negative?
The absolute value!
Therefore, (
x, if x 0
x 2
x, if x< 0
We said earlier that taking the square root of an even power of x is
found by dividing the exponent by 2.
Therefore,

a = a1/2 provided that a R

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RULES FOR SQUARE ROOTS

Product Rule
The square root of a product is equal to the product of the square
roots, thus
ab = a b

provided that a R and b R.
Quotient Rule
The square root of a quotient is equal to the quotient of the square
roots, thus r
a a
=
b b

provided that a R and b R and and b 6= 0.

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 SQUARE ROOTS

RULES FOR SQUARE ROOTS

Rationalising the denominator

Radicals such as 2, 3 and 5 are irrational numbers. So a
fraction such as 35 has an irrational denominator. Because
fractions with rational denominators are considered simpler than
fractions with irrational denominators, we usually convert fractions
with irrational denominators to equivalent ones with rational
denominators. That is, we rationalise the denominator.
So how do we rationalise 35 ?

Expressions
of the form of ( 5 2) and ( 5 + 2), or ( 7 2)
and ( 7 + 2) are called conjugates of each other. We can use
conjugates to simplify a radical expression that has a sum or
difference involving square roots in its denominator.

3 3( 7 + 2) 21 + 6 21 + 6
= = =
7 2 ( 7 2)( 7 + 2) 72 5

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RULES FOR SQUARE ROOTS

Simplified form of square root
When we simplify any expression, we try a simpler expression that
is equivalent to the original one. For a square root, the expression
must satisfy three conditions to be in simplified form. These three
conditions provide specific rules to follow for simplifying square
roots.
An expression involving a square root is in simplified form, if it has
1 No perfect square factors inside the radical
2 No fractions inside the radical
3 No radicals in the denominator
Because a decimal is a form of a fraction, a simplified square root
should not contain any decimal numbers. Also, a simplified
expression should use the
fewest
number of radicals possible.
So
we write 6 rather than 2 3 even though both 2 and 3 are
in simplified form.
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PERFECT SQUARES

x x x x
1 1 11 121
2 4 12 144
3 9 13 169
4 16 14 196
5 25 15 225
6 36 16 256
7 49 17 289
8 64 18 324
9 81 19 361
10 100 20 400
Table 1: List of perfect squares

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RULES FOR SQUARE ROOTS

Adding and subtracting square
roots
Consider the sum 2 3 + 5 5, just like
2x + 5x = 7x is true
for any value
of x
If we let x = 3, then we get 2 3 + 5 3 = 7 3.
We can add or subtract square roots as long as they have the
same radicand (or argument).

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PRACTICE
Basic Operation with surds
Simplify the following

3
a) 5 , b) 2 50 c) 3 12,

d) 3 15, e) 5 10, f) 3 27
Adding and subtracting surds
Simplify the following

a) 5 + 5, b) 2 3 3 c) 3 2+ 4 2 2,
d) 5 7 + 2 7, e) 5 + 7 5, f) 3 6 + 7 6 10
Product Rule
Simplify the following

a) 2 6, b) 2 50 c) 3 12,
d) 3 15, e) 5 10, f) 3 27

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PRACTICE
Quotient Rule
Simplify the following
q
a) 24 , b) 63 c) 100 65 32 25
2 , d) e) , f)

6 7 13 121 8 2 49
Rationalising surds
Rationalise the denominator of the following expressions

1 , 3 2 2
a) 2
b) 2
c) 3
,

15 1 1
d) ,
2 5
e)
2 3
, f) 3
( 2)
Rationalise the denominator of the following expressions

1 1 37
a) 3 5
, b) 2+ 3
c) 2+ 7
,

1 1+ 1 2
+1
2 2
d) , e) 1 1
, f) 2
1 2 2 1 42

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PRACTICE
Expanding expressions with surds
Expand the following expressions

2
a) 3 2 + 12 ,

2
b) 4 3 45



c) 3 2 4 3 3 2 + 4 3 ,



d) 2 + 3 5 1 + 2 ,



e) 6 4 3 2 + 2 5 ,



f) 2 2 2 + 5 7 2 4 2

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EQUATIONS INVOLVING SQUARE ROOTS

Obtaining equivalent equations for square roots
When solving equations, we use a sequence of equivalent
equations with each one simpler than the last. To get an
equivalent equation we can
1 Add the same number to each side
2 Subtract the same number to each side
3 Multiply each side by the same nonzero number
4 Divide each side by the same nonzero number
For example, some equations can be solved by squaring each

side such as x = 5. This becomes

( x)2 = x = 25

Because 25 = 5, 25 satisfies the original equation.

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2 IS IRRATIONAL
Proof by contradiction

Let us assume that 2 ais rational (i.e. 2 Q).
This means that 2 = b where a Z and b Z
We also assume that these numbers have no factors in common,
so that this quotient cannot be simplified any further.
This quotient is therefore irreducible.
a and b have no factors in common other than 1
If we square this equation we get
a2
2= a2 = 2b2
b2
What does it tell us about a2 ?
Since b Z, then b2 N, therefore a2 is an even integer since a2
equals 2 times an integer.
Remember that even even = even and odd odd = odd.
Therefore a is an even integer.
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2 IS IRRATIONAL
Proof by contradiction
Another way of saying that a is an even integer is to write
a = 2k kN
Thus, we can use this to show that b must also be even a is an
even integer.
a2 = 2b2
4k 2 = 2b2
b2 = 2k 2
Therefore, b2 is an even integer and using the same logic as for a,
b is an even integer.
Here is our contradiction, because if a is even and b is even, this
means that both a and b have 2 as a common factor and that ab is
reducible which contradicts our assumption that a and b have no
common factors and ab is irreducible.

Therefore 2 must be irrational
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ENCLOSING A SURD BETWEEN 2 DECIMALS

In order to find a decimal approximation of a surd, make an initial
guess and then square the guess, and depending how close you
got, improve your guess

Estimate 2 to 2 decimal places

Estimate 6 to 3 decimal places

Estimate 20 to 4 decimal places

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