Exercises 73–75 will help you prepare for the material covered in the next section.Simplify: √18 - √8

Radical expressions involve roots, such as square roots, cube roots, etc. In this context, we are dealing with square roots, which represent a number that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. Understanding how to simplify these expressions is crucial for solving problems involving radicals.

To simplify square roots, we look for perfect squares within the radicand (the number under the root). For example, √18 can be simplified to √(9*2) = 3√2, and √8 can be simplified to √(4*2) = 2√2. This process helps in reducing the expression to its simplest form.

Combining like terms is a fundamental algebraic skill that involves adding or subtracting terms that have the same variable or radical part. In the expression √18 - √8, after simplification, we combine the resulting terms (if they share the same radical) to arrive at a final simplified expression.