RATIONAL EXPONENTS &

RADICALS

John Karlo Mendoza

BS Mechanical Engineering
University of the Philippines Diliman
 Roots of Real Numbers

If a  R, n  N, n > 1, then b is an nth root of

a if bn = a.

Example
4 is the second root of 16, since 42 = 16
 Roots of Real Numbers

If a  R, n  N\{1}, and if
1. a > 0, then the principal nth root of a, is
the positive nth root
2. a < 0, n is odd, then the principal nth
root of a is the negative nth root
3. a = 0, then the principal nth root of a is 0
 Roots of Real Numbers
Remark: We denote the principal nth root of
a as n
a

index
n radicand
a
radical sign
radical
 Roots of Real Numbers
Examples
1. 16  4
2. 27  3
3

3. 3  27  3
4. =4undefined since we cannot find
a real number b such that b2 = -4

Remark: For now, if a < 0, n is even,

nis undefined
a
 Rational Exponents

Recall: If x  R, m,n  Z, then (xm)n = xmn

n
If m =  1
 n  1
1,  x n   x n  x
n  
 Rational Exponents
1
If a  R, n  N\{1}, thena n
n a

Examples
1
81 4
 4 81  3
1
 1 3
1 1
  3  
 8 8 2
 Rational Exponents
If a  R, n  N\{1}, m  Z, then

 a
m
 a n   a m n 
1
n
m

 
Examples

 
3
3
 1

32   32   32  2  8
5 5 5
3 3
 
3 3
 1  4  1  1 3
1
    4    

 
81  81   3  27
 Theorem
If a  R, n  N\{1}, m  Z, then

 a
n
m
 a n m

Example

 5
 3
32  32  8 5 3
 Theorems
If x,y  R, p,q  Q, then
1. xp  xq = xp+q
p
x p q
2. q , xx 0
x
3. (xp)q = xpq, x  0
4. (xy)p = xpyp
p
x x p

5.   , y p0
y y
 Examples
1 1 1 1 1
1. x 3
x 2
x 3 2
x 6

5
8
a 5 1 3
2. 1 a 8 4
a 8

a 4
2
 1
 1
3.  9t   81t 2
4
 
 Examples
1 1
 t 3 s 2 
1
s 2
5 5
 5 1
4.     s 2

 t 1 3 s 2   t 10 3  2
    t 3

1 1
 25 x 4 3
y z  2
 25x 2 y 4  2
5. 
 16 x y z 
2  1 3
   2 

   16z 
1
 16z 2  2
4z
  
2 4 

 25 x y  5xy 2
 Radicals: Properties
Theorem:  a,b  R, n,m  N\{1}, a,b  0
when n is even
1. n
ab  n
a  n
b
n
a a
2. n  n, b  0
b b
3. n m
a  nm a

4.  a
n
n
a
 Simplifying Radicals
A radical is in standard form (simplified) if

1. The radicand is positive

Example
3
 3  3 (1)(3)  3  1  3 3  3 3
 Simplifying Radicals
2. No factor in the radicand is a perfect power
of the index
Example
18  9  2  3 2
3
56  3 8  7  23 7
4 5 10
32 x y  16  2  x  x  y  y
4 4 8 2

 2 xy 2 4 2 xy 2
 Simplifying Radicals
3. The radicand is not a fraction or there are
no radical in the denominator
Example
1 1 2 2
  
2 2 4 2
2 3
5 3 45
3  2 
3 3 3
 Simplifying Radicals
4. The index is as low as possible
Example
4
4 2  2
4 2
  2
1
4
2
2
4
 2

4  2
6
49  7  7
6 2 3

12
16 x  2 x  2 x
8 12 4 8 3 2
 Sum and Difference of Radicals

Like or similar radicals are radicals having the

same index and same radicand.

– Combine like terms

 Examples
1. 3  5 3  6 3
2. 4 12  5 8  50  7 48
 4 4  3  5 4  2  25  2  7 16  3
 8 3  10 2  5 2  28 3

 5 2  20 3 or 5 2  4 3 
 Examples
3
3. 3
48  36  63
6

4
3 2
 8  6  6  63 
3 6 2

4 2
6
 2 6  6  63
3 3

8
3
6 3
 6 6
3
 6  33 6  23 6
2
 Examples
ab ab a2 a  2b
4.   2 2 a 2  b2
ab ab a  b (a  b)(a  b)
ab ab ab ab a2 a 2  b2
     2 2 2 2
ab ab ab ab a b a b
a 2  b2 a 2  b2 a a 2  b 2
   2 2
ab ab a b
 1
 
1 a  2 2
 2 2  a b
ab ab a b 
 
 Product and Quotient
Recall:  a,b  R, n  N, n > 1, a,b  0,
when n is even

1. n
a  b  ab
n n

n
a n a
2.
n

b b
 Examples
1. 4  12  48  8  6
3 3 3 3

 23 6
10 10 2
2.  
15 15 3
2 3 6
  
3 3 3
 Examples
4 3 108 3 4 3 25
3. 3   
5 25 5 108
3
5 5
 3 
27 3
  
4. 3  2 2  3  6  3 3  2 2  6
 Examples
  
5. 3 5  2 2  3 5  6 5  45  4  6 5
 12 5  49
or

  3 5 2 2

  45  12 5  4 

 12 5  49
 Examples
1 1
6. 6  2  6  2
3 2 3

3 2
 6 6 2 6

 6 6 3  6 22
 6 864

7. 3
9 x  27 x  3x 6 3
6 4
 Rationalizing Operations

Use special products.

(x + y)(x – y) = x2 – y2
(x  y)(x2  xy + y2) = (x3  y3)
 Examples
3 2 3 2 4 3 1
1.  
4 3 1 4 3 1 4 3 1
12 3  3  4 6  2

48  1
12 3  3  4 6  2

47
 Examples
2x
2.
x 1  1 x
2x x 1  1 x
 
x 1  1 x x 1  1 x
2x x  1  2x 1  x

x  1  (1  x )
2x x  1  2x 1  x
  x 1  1 x
2x
 Examples
3 3 4  23 3  3 9
3.  
2  3 3 2  3 3 4  23 3  3 9
12  6 3  3 9
3 3

83
12  6 3  3 9
3 3

5
 Examples
4
4.
 3  2 1 

4  
3  2 1
 3 2 1  
3  2 1

 6  2 2