What is a Surd and Simplifying

What is a surd?

A surd is a root of a number that is irrational. Examples: √2, √3, √5.

√4 = 2 is not a surd because it is rational.

Simplifying surds

Use √(ab) = √a × √b to take out square factors.

Example 1: √12 = √(4×3) = √4 × √3 = 2√3

Example 2: √72 = √(36×2) = 6√2

Example 3: √50 = √(25×2) = 5√2

Tip: Always look for the largest square factor.

Discussion

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Related Exercises

Simplify the surd

Simplify fully:√8√18√27√45√48√200

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