Radical

Definition

A radical is a mathematical expression that contains a square root symbol, indicating the need to find the principal square root of a number or expression. Radicals are a fundamental concept in algebra and are essential for evaluating, simplifying, and translating mathematical expressions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Radicals are used to represent the square root of a number or expression, and they are essential for evaluating, simplifying, and translating mathematical expressions.
2. The principal square root of a number is the positive value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number.
3. Radicals can be simplified by removing perfect squares from the radicand and applying the power rule, $\sqrt{a^2} = a$.
4. Radicals can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided, but the rules for these operations differ from those for regular numbers.
5. Translating expressions with radicals may involve identifying the radicand, simplifying the radical, and then performing the necessary operations.

Review Questions

• Explain how to simplify a radical expression.
  • To simplify a radical expression, you need to first identify the radicand, which is the number or expression under the square root symbol. Then, look for any perfect squares within the radicand and remove them by applying the power rule, $\sqrt{a^2} = a$. This will reduce the radicand to its simplest form. For example, to simplify $\sqrt{72}$, you can first identify that 72 can be written as $8 \times 9$, where 8 is a perfect square. Applying the power rule, we get $\sqrt{72} = \sqrt{8 \times 9} = \sqrt{8} \times \sqrt{9} = 2 \times 3 = 6$.
• Describe the steps involved in translating an expression with radicals.
  • Translating an expression with radicals involves several steps. First, you need to identify the radicand, which is the number or expression under the square root symbol. Next, you should simplify the radical by removing any perfect squares from the radicand. Then, you can perform the necessary operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, while taking into account the special rules for working with radicals. Finally, you may need to simplify the resulting expression further to ensure it is in its most simplified form.
• Analyze how the properties of radicals, such as the power rule and the product rule, can be used to evaluate and manipulate radical expressions.
  • The properties of radicals, such as the power rule ($\sqrt{a^2} = a$) and the product rule ($\sqrt{ab} = \sqrt{a} \times \sqrt{b}$), are essential for evaluating and manipulating radical expressions. These rules allow you to simplify the radicand, combine or separate radicals, and perform various operations on radical expressions. By understanding and applying these properties, you can effectively evaluate, simplify, and translate expressions involving radicals, which is crucial for solving a wide range of algebraic problems.

Related terms

Square Root: The square root of a number is the value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. The square root symbol, $\sqrt{}$, is used to denote this operation.

Radicand: The radicand is the number or expression that is placed under the square root symbol, $\sqrt{\text{radicand}}$.

Perfect Square: A perfect square is a number that can be expressed as the product of two equal integers, such as 4, 9, or 16. These numbers have a square root that is a whole number.