How do you subtract radicals and express them in lowest terms?

Answer 1

When you look at a radical you have to think of it as to the power of a half.

Ex.

sqrt(3) = 3.5 = 31/2

these all equal 1.732050808...

sqrt(5+4) = (5+4)1/2

remember to do what is inside the parenthesis first to follow the PEMDAS order of operations so this would equal 3. because 5+4 is 9 and sqrt of 9 is 3

sqrt(3) + sqrt(7) = 31/2 + 71/2

just apply the sqrt to each number separatly to get 4.3778

sqrt(x) + sqrt(x) = x1/2 + x1/2 = 2x1/2

you would just add these variables up and do nothing with the exponents

Now to subtract the radicals...

Ex.

sqrt(3)/2 - sqrt(5)/4 = 2[sqrt(3)]/4 - sqrt(5)/4 = (2*31/2 - 51/2)/4

There really is no trick to subtracting radicals. You just haveto get a common denominator like you do on regular subtraction problems.