It is a term which contains a radical.

What is a radical term?

But what is a radical?

A radical is another name for a square root.

Okay—so a radical term . . .

. . . is an term that contains a radical, or square root.

Look! There goes one now!

117

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Consider these two expressions:

What makes them different?What do they have in common?

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You may have noticed that the two expressions are really the

same, if . . .

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If what?Under what condition would the

two expressions be identical?

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The two expressions are identical when

2x

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That means since you already know how to simplify the first

expression . . .

x10

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. . . then you also know how to simplify the radical expression .

x10

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The rules that apply to combining like terms

xyxy 524 yx 53

also apply to combining radical terms.

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35

also apply to combining radical terms.

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You can only combine radical terms when the radicands are

identical. When what are identical?

What is a radicand?

The radicand is the number underneath the square root sign.

n

When two (or more) terms have exactly the same radicand,

nn 64

nnn 264

we call them like radical terms, and we can combine them .

nn 64

But when the radicands are not identical . . .

6372

. . . the terms cannot be combined.

6372 6372

Practice combining radical terms:

5554 5

Practice combining radical terms:

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