Radical Equations Flashcard

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What is a radical equation?

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A radical equation is an equation in which a variable is contained within a radical (square root, cube root, etc.).

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How do you isolate a radical in an equation?

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To isolate a radical, you can move all other terms to the opposite side of the equation, leaving the radical alone on one side.

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The first step is to eliminate the fraction by multiplying both sides of the equation by the denominator.

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What is the importance of squaring both sides of a radical equation?

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Squaring both sides eliminates the radical, allowing you to solve for the variable, but it may introduce extraneous solutions.

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What is an extraneous solution?

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An extraneous solution is a solution that emerges from the process of solving the equation but does not satisfy the original equation.

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What is the process to check if a solution is valid in a radical equation?

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Substitute the solution back into the original equation to see if both sides are equal.

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What does it mean to simplify a radical?

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Simplifying a radical means to express it in its simplest form, removing any perfect square factors.

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What is the square root property?

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