Did you know that when we perform operations with radical expressions we treat the radical like a variable?
Jenn, Founder Calcworkshop®, 15+ Years Experience (Licensed & Certified Teacher)
This means that when adding radicals, subtracting radicals and even multiplying radicals we use the familiar process of combining like terms.
Just like when we have variables with the same exponent we can combine terms if radicals have the same index and radicand we also can add or subtract these terms by adding or subtracting their numerical coefficient.
All we have to do is add or subtract those terms that are alike by adding or subtracting their numerical coefficient, as SoftSchools accurately states.
Example of How to Multiply and Simplify Radical Expressions
Together we will look at how to:
- Add square roots
- Multiply square roots
- Add and subtract radicals of any index value
- Estimate the value of square roots without a calculator
As always, we must first express each radical in simplest form prior to performing any operation and look for ways to reduce or simplify our answers.
Multiplying Radicals (How-To) – Video
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