Adding and Subtracting Like Radicals

Like radicals have the SAME

(a)  

• index and radicand
• base and exponent
• coefficient and variable
• magnitude and direction

Which one's a prime number?

• 4

• 6

• 7

• 8

Match the like radicals to their correct index and radicand. (You might need to simplify some radicals)

Groups:

(a) Squareroot of 2

,

(b) Squareroot of 3

,

(c) squareroot of 5

,

(d) cuberoot of 2

Once we have our like radicals, do we add the coefficients (the whole number in the front) or the radicands (the numbers inside the radicals)?

• We add the radicands and the coefficients stay the same.

• We add the coefficients and the radicands and index stays the same.

• don't
• do
• No
• Yes
• don't have
• have
• index
• radicand.
• coefficient
• prime

What do you think is the importance of simplifying the radicals before adding/subtracting?

Sentence starter:

I think the importance of simplifying the radicals before adding/subtracting is _____ because ____.

Point of confusion!

At which point do you need more clarification?