Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Radical Expressions
Radical expressions involve roots, such as square roots, cube roots, etc. In this context, we are dealing with square roots, which are denoted by the radical symbol (√). Understanding how to manipulate these expressions, including simplifying them, is crucial for performing operations like addition and subtraction.
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Like Radicals
Like radicals are terms that have the same radicand (the number or expression inside the radical) and the same index. For example, √20 and √45 are not like radicals because their radicands differ. To add or subtract radical expressions, it is essential to simplify them to like radicals, allowing for straightforward combination of the terms.
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Simplifying Radicals
Simplifying radicals involves breaking down the radicand into its prime factors and extracting any perfect squares. For instance, √45 can be simplified to 3√5, as 45 = 9 × 5 and √9 = 3. This process is necessary to identify like radicals and perform addition or subtraction accurately.
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