Adding and Subtracting Surds
This page introduces the concept of adding and subtracting surds step by step. It provides a clear methodology for handling these operations, particularly when dealing with surds that have different roots.
The process begins with simplifying the surds so that they have the same number under the square root. This step is crucial for adding and subtracting surds with different roots. Once simplified, the surds can be combined like normal algebraic terms.
Example: √48 + √27 is simplified to 4√3 + 3√3, which can then be easily added to get 7√3.
The page also includes a section on subtracting surds, noting that the process is similar to addition, with the only difference being the operation itself.
Highlight: When adding or subtracting surds, always simplify first to ensure the surds have the same root.
Several practice questions are provided at the bottom of the page, allowing students to apply the techniques they've learned. These questions cover various scenarios, including addition and subtraction of surds with whole numbers and surds with different roots.
Vocabulary: Surds are irrational numbers expressed using root symbols.