Back to Course

0% Complete
0/0 Steps

• ## Do you like this content?

Lesson 1, Topic 3
In Progress

# Addition & Subtraction of Surds

Lesson Progress
0% Complete

Only surds in the same basic form can either be added or subtracted. Sometimes there may be a need to simplify such surds before doing either the addition or the subtraction.

Examples

Simplify the following:

i. $$\scriptsize 2 \sqrt{12}\: + \:3 \sqrt{48} \: – \: \sqrt{75}$$

ii. $$\scriptsize 2 \sqrt{150} \: – \: \sqrt{96} \: – \: 2\sqrt{24}$$

Solution

i. $$\scriptsize 2 \sqrt{12} + 3 \sqrt{48} \: – \: \sqrt{75}$$

= $$\scriptsize 2 \left ( \sqrt{3 \: \times \: 4} \right)\: + \: 3 \left ( \sqrt{3 \: \times \: 16} \right) \: – \: \left ( \sqrt{3 \: \times \: 25} \right)$$

= $$\scriptsize 2 \left ( \sqrt{3} \: \times \: \sqrt{4} \right) \: + \: 3 \left ( \sqrt{3} \: \times \: \sqrt{16} \right) \: – \: \left ( \sqrt{3 \: \times \: 25} \right)$$

= $$\scriptsize 2 \left ( 2 \sqrt{3} \right) \: + \: 3 \left ( 4 \sqrt{3} \right) \: – \: \left (5 \sqrt{3} \right)$$

= $$\scriptsize 4 \sqrt{3} \: + \: 12 \sqrt{3} \: – \: 5 \sqrt{3}$$

= $$\scriptsize 16 \sqrt{3} \: – \: 5 \sqrt{3} \\ \scriptsize = 11 \sqrt {3}$$

ii. $$\scriptsize 2 \sqrt{150} \: – \: \sqrt{96} \: – \: 2\sqrt{24}$$

= $$\scriptsize 2 \left ( \sqrt{6 \: \times \: 25} \right) \: – \: \left ( \sqrt{6 \: \times \: 16} \right) \: – \: 2 \left ( \sqrt{4 \: \times \: 6} \right)$$

= $$\scriptsize 2 \left ( 5 \sqrt{6} \right) \: – \: \left ( 4 \sqrt{6} \right) \: – \: \left (4 \sqrt{6} \right)$$

= $$\scriptsize 10 \sqrt{6}\: – \: 8 \sqrt{6} \\ \scriptsize = 2 \sqrt{6}$$

Exercise:

Evaluate

i. $$\scriptsize \sqrt{32} \: + \: 3 \sqrt{8}$$

ii. $$\scriptsize 3 \sqrt{48} \:-\: \sqrt{75} \: + \: 2 \sqrt{12}$$

error: