Chapter 1 : Square Roots

1.1 Definition of a Square Root

Let a be any positive number or zero. The square root of a is a real number whose
square is a, denote as a, a

Symbol a represents the positive square root of a.

Symbol a represents the negative square root of a.
Symbol is sometimes called the radical sign.
The number a is called the radicand.

Example 1 Find the square roots of the following numbers.

1) 16 2) 49 3) 0.25 4) 12
Solution

Example 2 Find numbers whose square roots correspond to the following numbers.
1) 3 2) -3 3) 5 4) 5
Solution
2 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

Example 3 Find the positive square roots of the following numbers.

1) 62 and (-6)2 2) 82 and (-8)2 3) (0.4)2 and (-0.4)2 4) ( 23)2 and ( 23)2
Solution

Definition

Let a be a real number, and we have a2 a

where a is absolute value of a

Example 4 Find the positive square roots of the following expressions.

1) (-9)2 2) 4x2y4 3) 16m4n6 4) 36a2b4c6
Solution
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 3

1.2 Simplification of a Square Root

I) Square Root In Simplest Form
The square root is in simplest form when the following three conditions have been met:
1) No radicands have perfect square factors other than 1.
2) No fractions are inside the radical.
3) No radicals appear in a denominator.
The following properties are useful when we need to operate with square roots

Properties of square roots

Property Application
1) ab a b ; a 0, b 0 20 4 5 4 5 2 5
2) ab a ; a 0, b 0 75 75 25 3 5 3
b 9 9 3 3
2 2
3) ( a ) a ; a 0 ( 3) 3

Example 5 Write the following square roots in their simplest form.

1) 12 2) 18 3) 24 4) 200
Solution

II) Addition and Subtraction of Square Roots

Addition and subtraction square roots is very similar to addition and subtraction with variables.
Consider the following example.

Example 6 5x + 3x 2x = (5 + 3 2)x
= 6x
5 7 3 7 2 7 = ( 5 3 2) 7
= 6 7
4 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

Example 7 Simplify each of the following.

1) 4 3 2 3 5 3 2) 18 50 3) 75 48
4) 63 28 112 5) 27 108 12 6) 8 18 3 32 2 50
Solution

Exercise 1A
1. Simplify
1) 12 2) 72
3) 125 4) 245
5) 3 12 6) 5 32
7) 6 128 8) 7 63
9) 5 392 10) 192n
11) 343x 12) 196y2
13) 256m2 14) 252a2
15) 144 b3 16) 2 128n
17) 5 36m 18) 4 112p2
19) 4 175y4 20) 45x2y2
3 4
21) 72a b 22) 25x3y3
4 3 4 4
23) 512a b 24) 320m n
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 5

25) 6 80xy 2 26) 8 98mn

27) 5 245x2y3 = 28) 4 72a2b2
29) 2 180m3n 30) 5 75a3b4
31) 8 190x4 y2z4 32) 6 50 a4 bc2
33) 2 80xy 4z 34) 4 54mnp 2

2. Simplify
1) 3 2 5 2 2) 7 3 3 3

3) 5 8 2 18 4) 2 27 2 12

5) 2 5 3 5 4 5 6) 3 6 3 3 2 3

7) 40 20 80 8) 48 9 12 75

9) 2 2 3 18 2 10) 3 2 2 8 3 18

11) 14 3 2 243 432 12) 26 12 7 75 12 27

6 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

13) (8 8 98) (4 18 6 32 ) 14) (2 245 3 180 ) ( 320 405)

15) 3 96 2 54 ( 216 4 150 ) 16) 3 6 3 5 2 5

17) 5 4 3 2 3 18) 54 3 6 3 27

19) 3 20 20 3 20) 2 2 2 3 8 3 6

21) 2 24 2 6 2 6 2 8 22) 3 8 5 3 6 2 18

23) 3 24 3 27 2 6 2 8 24) 2 6 54 3 27 3

25) 5 45 6 18 2 98 20 26) (5 12 27) (4 192 400 )

27) 98 2 12 ( 32 108 ) 28) 2 36 125 3 45 3 49

 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 7

29) 3 112 2 25 (2 63 4 175 7 9) 30) ( 3 12 27) (2 192 300 )

31) 2a a2x 3a2 4x a 9a2x 32) 18m3n3 m 8mn3 n 50p3q

III) Multiplication and Division of Simple Square Roots

To find the product of two square roots, multiply separately the rational factors and the
irrational factors.

Example 8 Find the product:

1) ( 3)( 6) 2) ( 5)( 20 ) 3) 5 14 4 6
4) 2 12(4 3 6) 5) ( 2)(3 2 3) 6) (3 2)( 5 2)
Solution
8 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

Example 9 Find the quotient:

1) 62 2) 5
3
3) 8a
2a
3) 123 4) 18
3
6 6) 42
Solution

IV) Product of Compound Square Roots

Compound Square roots. An expression which involves two or more simple square roots is
called a compound square root.
Thus 5 3 , 2 3 7 , 5 3 2 2 are compound square roots.
In finding the product of compound square roots we follow the same arrangement as in dealing
with rational expressions.

Example 10 Find the product of 2 3 7 and 5 3.

Solution

Example 11 Multiply 2 3 6 2 by 3 2.
Solution
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 9

V) Rationalizing the Denominators of Square Roots

It is considered bad practice to have a square root in the denominator of fraction. When this
happens we multiply numerator and denominator by the same thing in order to clear the square root.
If the binomial occurs in the denominator we will have to use a different strategy to clear the
square root. We will use what is called a conjugate.
Given the radical expression a b , the "conjugate" is the expression a b .
The conjugate (KAHN-juh-ghitt) has the same numbers but the opposite sign in the middle. So not only is
a b the conjugate of a b , but a b is the conjugate of a b . When you
multiply conjugates, you are doing something similar to what happens with a difference of squares:
a2 b2 = (a + b)(a b)

The conjugate of a b is a b . They are conjugate pair.

Example 12 Rationalize the denominator:

r 1) 3 2 2 2) 3 3 2 3) 4 4) 3 5 7 3
3 2
5) 22 11 6) 13 77 7) 23 5
3 8) 11 xx 11
Solution
10 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

Example 13 Simplify 1 1 1 .
r 2 3
Solution

Example 14 Simplify 1 1
2 3.
Solution

Example 15 Express 2 4
3 7 with rational denominator.
Solution

Example 16 Simplify 3 1 2 3
1
2.
Solution
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 11

Example 17 Simplify 5 2 5 2.
5 2 5 2
Solution

Example 18 Express b2 with rational denominator.

2 2
a b a
Solution

Example 19 Divide 53 12 by 2 5 32 .
Solution
12 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

VI) Square Root of Binomail Quadratic Square Roots ( In form x y)

Consider
2
a b a 2 a b b
a b 2 ab
2
a b a 2 a b b
a b 2 ab
2
a b 2 ab a b a b
2
a b 2 ab a b a b
Example 20 Simplify the following.
1) 3 2 2 2) 8 2 15 3) 17 12 2
4) 7 48 5) 8 12 6) 4 15
5 5
Solution

Example 21 Find the square roots of the following expressions.

1) 16 2 55 2) 18 8 5 3) 32 24
Solution
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 13

X
Example 22 Simplify 2 19 4 21 2 28
Solution
48 3 29 2 28 .

Example 23 Simplify 1 1 2 2
1
3 3
1
4 ... 195
1
196 .
Solution

Example 24 Find the value of

33 65 6 3 65 3 3 3 65 2 1 3 3 65 2 1 3 3 65 .
Solution
14 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

Exercise 1B
1. Multiply or divide and simplify.
1) 3 3 2) ( 5)2
3) 3 2 2 2 4) 5 10
5) 2 3 6) 3 15
7) 2 3 6 8) 2 7 63
9) 27 33 10) 8 5 125
11) (3 5)2 12) 3 3(2 6)
13) 5 6(2 21) 14) 30 35
15) 8 16) 6
2 3
17) 155 12
18) 5 100
19) 123 5
20) 2 125
10 a 3x
3
21) 2 a 22) 12x

23) 42 24) 63
25) 77 26) 42
27) 5 28) 3 7 2
2

29) 2( 8 2) 30) 3( 3 2 3)

31) 7(3 7 2) 32) 2 3(4 2 5 3)

33) 2 7( 3 6 2) 34) 2( 8 32 )
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 15

35) 2 6(3 3 5 2) 36) ( 3 4)( 3 2)

37) ( 2 3)( 5 3) 38) ( 7 2)( 3 5)

39) ( 5 2)( 5 2) 40) ( 3 2 )2

41) ( 7 2)2 42) (2 5 3)(2 5 3)

43) ( x 2 y )( x 2 y ) 44) ( a 3 by )( a 3 by )

45) (3 x 5 y )(2 x 3 y ) 46) (a x b y )2

47) ( a x a) ( a x a) 48) ( 2p 3q 2 q ) ( 2p 3q 2 q )

2 1 3 1
49) 3 50) 3

3 2 3 2 5
51) 6 52) 2 5

4 3 2 2 2 5 5
53) 3 2 54) 4 13
16 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

55) 2 56) 3
3 1 2 1

57) 6 58) 5
5 2 3 5 2

14 2
59) 4 3 4 5 60)
7 2

2 10 3 3
61) 2 5 62)
3 1

63) 55 22 66 64) 45 33 22

65) 3 2 2 2 73 2 66) 3 222 7 ( 18 7)

ab a a ab
67) b a 68) a b

a b a b
69) a b 70) a b

71) a b ab b a 72) a ba bb a
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 17

3
73)
x y
74) ab3 a3 b
x y ab a3 b

75) 3x 1 76) 28a a

2
3x 1

x y d 2d d
77) 78)
b ab a
2 2
x2 y2

79) aa 11 1 2 4 42 80) b a a a b 2
1 a a b b a

x2 y2 x x2 y2 y
81) x 3yx 1 3x 82) 2 2 2 2
x y y x x y

3 y 4 yz
83) a a ab bb 84) 5 y 2 z y

85) 1 b b b b 86) a b
2
a a a b
18 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

2. Find the value of

1) 4 2 3 2) 3 2 2

3) 6 25 4) 8 2 15

5) 13 2 40 6) 22 2 72

7) 33 12 7 8) 87 12 42

3. Find the square roots of each of the following binomial square roots.
1) 5 2 6 2) 7 4 3

3) 83 12 35 4) 41 24 2

5) 32 24 6) 175 147

7) 2 14 5 8) 4 13 43 3
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 19

9) 12a 2b 4 6ab 10) 9m 8n 12 2mn

11) 3x 1 2 2x2 3x 2 12) 2m 2 m2 9n2

4. Express in the simplest form:

1) 3 147 7 27 1 11 1
3 3

2) 23 23 23 23 3 16 12 6

3) 3a 5a 5 5a 10 a5

4) 3 5 13 48
20 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

5) 45 8 80 18 7 40

6) 23 6 10 20 18 22 4 10

7) 1 3 4
11 2 30 7 2 10 8 4 3

8) 10 2 10 18
18 11 5 18 3 5

9) ( 5 20 45 80 125 180 )2

10) (3 3 4) (3 3 4) (4 2 2 5 ) (4 2 2 5 ) (6 3 3 2 ) (6 3 3 2 )
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 21

11) 15 3 235 5 217 5

12) 5 22 6 2
5 2 6

13) (2 2 33) (23 3 5 5 )

14) ( 5 6 7 )( 5 6 7 )( 5 6 7 )( 5 6 7)

15) 5 17 5 20 17 3 4 20 17 4 13 4 20 17 4 13 4 20 17

16) 2 1 1 2 3 2 1 2 3 ... 100 99 1 99 100

22 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

1.3 Solving Square Root Equations

Property of Squaring Both Sides of an Equation

If two numbers are equal, then the squares of the numbers are equal.
(If a and b are real numbers and a = b, then a2 = b2.)

Example 25 Solve x 2 7 0.
Solution

Example 26 Solve 3 2x 3 0.
Solution

Example 27 Solve the equation 3 x 9x 13 13 0.

Solution
 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots 23

Exercise 1C
1. Solve the equation : (Work on Note Book)
1) 2x 7 3 0 2) 5x 1 3x 9
3) x2 5x 6 x2 2x 4 4) x 2 x 2
5) x 1 7 x 6) 3 3x 1 2x
7) 2x 2 3 2x 1 8) 4x 5 x 4 2
9) 2x 4 x 3 1 10) 6 2x 2x 3 3
11) 6 3x 3x 7 3 12) 3x 9 x 4 1
13) 2 x 1 4x 11 14) 4x 1 x 2 x 3
15) 2x 1 8x 4 x 4 16) x a x a a
17) x a x b a b 18) x 5 x 4 45
x 4
19) x a x b a
x a 20) 6 3x x 11 2 x 1
x 6
21) 6 xx x7 5 77 xx 26
21 22) 9 2x 2x 5
9 2x
23) 11 xx xx 77 2 24) x a2 x 2 5a2
a2 x 2
25) x2 6 x2 2x 5 11 2x 26) 3x 2x2 6x 1 1 x2
24 Elective Mathematics Workbook 5 Chapter 1: Square Roots

Challenging Problems 1
1. Simplify 9 2 23 6 10 4 3 2 2 .
2. Compare 5 6 and 3 8.
3. Given that a and b are real numbers and 11 45 9 4 5 a b.
Find the square root of a + b.
4. Find the value of 2 2 2 2... 2 2 2 2 ... .
5. Given that 18 1 . Find the square root of a + 3.
2 2 a a a ...
6. Prove that 5 20 2 23.
7. Show ab dc if aa bb c
c d.
d

8. Given that y x a x a 1 2x .
x a x a , show that y y a
9. Given that c > 1 and x c 2 c 1, y c 2 c 1, z c c 1 ,
c c 1 c 1 c c 2 c 1
arrange x, y, z in ascending order.
10. Prove that a a a ... a .
11. Given that y = ab, x = a + b , if a and b are real numbers and a, b > 0.
1) Show that x 2 y a b. 2) Show that x 2 y a b ; a b.
2 2
12. Prove that a b a
a b a a b if a > 0, b > 0, and a2- b > 0.
2 2
13. Prove that a a a ... 1 24a 1 .
2
14. Prove that a b a b a ... b b 4a when a 0 and b 0.
2
15. Simplify 1 a2 1 a2 a4 .
16. Simplify x 2 3 2x 5 x 2 2x 5.
17. It is given that a, b are two positive numbers satisfying a( a b) 3 b( a 5 b ) .
Find the value of 3a 2 ab 2b .
a ab b
2
18. Given x a1 , find the value of x 2 x 4x .
a x 2 x2 4x
19. Evaluate a 3 4 a 1 a 3 4 a 1.