This week we went over over simplifying expressions with variable radicands.i found many things that help me understand how to simplify expressions with variables that I would like to share.
To add radicals they must have like terms such as in this example:
Step 1: identify if radicals have the same base
Step 2: if they have the same base add or subtract depending on the sign.
Now the way understand the concept of adding like terms we can move onto once with variable radicands.
Tip: if an radicand is factorable turn it into a mixed radical ( you can factor the number of variables as well!)
Step 1:
turn into mixed radicals (if you don’t know how to do this look at my week 2 blog post)
first thing you wanna do is make a factor tree and find perfect squares go from an entire radical to a mixed radical.
Step 2: multiply your coefficients ( coefficients are the numbers in front of the radical sign)
Step 3: Now that you have completed turning them into mixed radicals you can add them together because they have the same base.
