Answers and Additional Examples
This page provides answers to the practice questions from the previous page and offers additional examples of adding and subtracting surds.
The solutions demonstrate the step-by-step process of simplifying surds before performing addition or subtraction. This reinforces the importance of proper simplification in surd operations.
Example: √75 - √12 is solved by simplifying √75 to 5√3 and √12 to 2√3, then subtracting to get 3√3.
The page also includes more complex examples involving the addition and subtraction of surds with coefficients and whole numbers.
Highlight: When dealing with surds and whole numbers, it's important to keep the surds separate from the rational numbers during calculations.
These examples provide valuable practice for students learning to manipulate surds in various mathematical contexts. They cover a range of scenarios that students might encounter in their studies or exams.
Definition: Simplifying surds involves expressing the surd in its simplest form by factoring out perfect square factors from under the root.
The solutions provided serve as a useful reference for students to check their work and understand the correct approach to simplifying surds in addition and subtraction examples.