Unit 2, Lesson 2

Combining Radical Expressions: Quotients

If nsqrt(a) and nsqrt(b) are real numbers and b does not equal 0, then nsqrt(a)/nsqrt(b) = nsqrt(a/b).

Combining Radical Expressions: Products

If nsqrt(a) and nsqrt(b) are real numbers, and n equals each other, than nsqrt(a) x nsqrt(b) = nsqrt(ab).

Rules for Simplest Form Radicals

The radicand cannot contain any perfect square factors. No term can have more than one radical. Terms cannot have any common radical factors. All fractions must be reduced to simplest form. The denominator of a fraction cannot contain a radical.

rationalize the denominator

a way to simplify a radical expression; rewrite the expression so that there are no radicals in any denominator and no denominator in any radical

simplest form of a radical

a radical reduced as much as possible