Surds

S5 Int2
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Simplifying a Surd

Rationalising a Surd

Conjugate Pairs

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 Starter Questions
S5 Int2

Use a calculator to find the values of :

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1. 36 = 6 2. 144 = 12

3. 3
8 =3 4. 4
16 =2

5. 2  1.41 6.
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3
21  2.76
 The Laws Of Surds
S5 Int2

Learning Intention Success Criteria

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1. To explain what a surd is 1. Learn rules for surds.

and to investigate the
rules for surds. 1. Use rules to simplify surds.

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 What is a Surd
S5 Int2

36 = 6 144 = 12
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The above roots have exact values

and are called rational

2  1.41 3
21  2.76
These roots do NOT have exact values
and are called irrational OR Surds
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 Note :
Adding & Subtracting
√2 +Surds
√3 does not
S5 Int2 equal √5
Adding and subtracting a surd such as 2. It can be
treated in the same way as an “x” variable in algebra.
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The following examples will illustrate this point.

4 2+6 2 16 23 - 7 23
=10 2 =9 23

10 3 + 7 3 - 4 3 =13 3
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 First Rule
S5 Int2

a  b  ab
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Examples

4  6  24 4  10  40

List the first 10 square numbers

1, 2, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100
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 Simplifying Square Roots
S5 Int2

Some square roots can be broken down into a

mixture of integer values and surds. The following
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examples will illustrate this idea:

To simplify 12 we must split 12

12 into factors with at least one
being a square number.

= 4 x 3 Now simplify the square root.

= 2 3 www.mathsrevision.com
 Have a go !
S5 Int2 Think square numbers

 45  32  72
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= 9 x 5 = 16 x 2 = 4 x 18

= 35 = 42 = 2 x 9 x 2

= 2 x 3 x 2

= 62
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 What Goes In The Box ?
S5 Int2

Simplify the following square roots:

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(1)  20 (2)  27 (3)  48

= 25 = 33 = 43

(4)  75 (5)  4500 (6)  3200

= 53 = 305 = 402

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 Starter Questions
S5 Int2

Simplify :
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1. 20 = 2√5 2. 18 = 3√2

1 1 1 1
3.  = ¼ 4.  = ¼
2 2 4 4
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 The Laws Of Surds
S5 Int2

Learning Intention Success Criteria

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1. To explain how to 1. Know that √a x √a = a.

rationalise a fractional
surd. 2. To be able to rationalise the
numerator or denominator of
a fractional surd.

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 Second Rule
S5 Int2

a a  a
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Examples

4 4  4 13  13  13

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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2

You may recall from your fraction work that the

top line of a fraction is the numerator and the
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bottom line the denominator.

2 numerator
=
3 denominator
Fractions can contain surds:

2 5 3 2
3 4 7 3- 5
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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2

If by using certain maths techniques we remove the

surd from either the top or bottom of the fraction
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then we say we are “rationalising the numerator” or

“rationalising the denominator”.

Remember the rule

a a  a
This will help us to rationalise a surd fraction
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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2

To rationalise the denominator multiply the top and

bottom of the fraction by the square root you are
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trying to remove:

3 3 5
=  ( 5 x 5 =  25 = 5 )
5 5 5
3 5
=
5
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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2

Let’s try this one :

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Remember multiply top and bottom by root you are

trying to remove

3 3 7 3 7 3 7
= = =
2 7 2 7  7 2 7 14

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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2

Rationalise the denominator

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10 10  5 10 5 2 5
= = =
7 5 7 5  5 7 5 7

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 What Goes In The Box ?
S5 Int2

Rationalise the denominator of the following :

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7 7 3 4 2 6 14 7 10
= = =
3 3 6 3 3 10 15

4 2 2 2 5 2 15 6 3 3 6
 = =
9 2 9
7 3 21
11 2
11

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 Starter Questions
S5 Int2 Conjugate Pairs.

Multiply out :
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1. 3  3= 3
2. 14  14 = 14
3.  12 + 3  
12 - 3 = 12- 9 = 3
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 The Laws Of Surds
S5 Int2 Conjugate Pairs.

Learning Intention Success Criteria

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1. To explain how to use the 1. Know that

conjugate pair to (√a + √b)(√a - √b) = a - b
rationalise a complex
fractional surd. 2. To be able to use the
conjugate pair to rationalise
complex fractional surd.

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 Looks
something like
the difference
Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2of two squares Conjugate Pairs.
Look at the expression : ( 5  2)( 5  2)
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This is a conjugate pair. The brackets are identical

apart from the sign in each bracket .
Multiplying out the brackets we get :
( 5  2)( 5  2) = 5 5 - 2 5 + 2 5 - 4
=5-4 =1
When the brackets are multiplied out the surds
ALWAYS cancel out and we end up seeing that the
expression is rational ( no root sign )
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 Third Rule
S5 Int2 Conjugate Pairs.

  
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a b a  b  a b

Examples
 7 3  7 3  =7–3=4

 11  5  11  5  = 11 – 5 = 6

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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2 Conjugate Pairs.
Rationalise the denominator in the expressions below by
multiplying top and bottom by the appropriate
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conjugate:

2 2( 5 + 1)
=
5-1 ( 5 - 1)( 5 + 1)

2( 5 + 1) 2( 5 + 1) ( 5 + 1)
= = =
( 5  5 - 5 + 5 - 1) (5 - 1) 2
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 Rationalising Surds
S5 Int2 Conjugate Pairs.
Rationalise the denominator in the expressions below
by multiplying top and bottom by the appropriate
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conjugate:

7 7( 3 + 2)
=
( 3 - 2) ( 3 - 2)( 3 + 2)

7( 3 + 2)
= = 7( 3 + 2)
(3 - 2)
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 What Goes In The Box
S5 Int2

Rationalise the denominator in the expressions below :

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5 5( 7 + 2) 3
= =3+ 6
( 7-2) 3 ( 3 - 2)

Rationalise the numerator in the expressions below :

6+4 =
-5 5 + 11 =
-6
6( 6 - 4) 7( 5 - 11)
12 7
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