Radicals & Simplifying Radical Expression

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What is a radical expression?

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A radical expression is an expression that includes a root, such as a square root, cube root, etc. The most common radical is the square root.

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What is the radicand in a radical expression?

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The radicand is the number or expression inside the radical symbol that is being rooted.

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What does it mean to simplify a radical expression?

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To simplify a radical expression means to rewrite it in a form where the radicand has no perfect square factors other than 1, and no radicals appear in the denominator.

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It is not in simplified form because it has a radical in the denominator.

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What is the square root symbol called?

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The square root symbol is called a radical.

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@@\sqrt{12} = \sqrt{4 \cdot 3} = 2\sqrt{3}$$.

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What is the first step in simplifying a radical expression?

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The first step is to factor the radicand into its prime factors and identify any perfect square factors.

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@@\sqrt{50} = \sqrt{25 \cdot 2} = 5\sqrt{2}$$.

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What does it mean if a radical expression is in simplest form?

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A radical expression is in simplest form if there are no perfect square factors in the radicand and no radicals in the denominator.

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