468 (9–2) Chapter 9 Radicals and Rational Exponents

9.1 RADICALS
In Section 5.6 you learned the basic facts about powers. In this section you will
In this study roots and see how powers and roots are related.
section
Roots
● Roots
● Roots and Variables We use the idea of roots to reverse powers. Because 32  9 and (3)2  9, both 3
and 3 are square roots of 9. Because 24  16 and (2)4  16, both 2 and 2 are
● Product Rule for Radicals
fourth roots of 16. Because 23  8 and (2)3  8, there is only one real cube root
● Quotient Rule for Radicals of 8 and only one real cube root of 8. The cube root of 8 is 2 and the cube root
● Rationalizing the of 8 is 2.
Denominator
● Simplifying Radicals nth Roots
● Simplifying Radicals Involving
Variables If a  bn for a positive integer n, then b is an nth root of a. If a  b2, then b
is a square root of a. If a  b3, then b is the cube root of a.

If n is a positive even integer and a is positive, then there are two real nth roots
of a. We call these roots even roots. The positive even root of a positive number is
called the principal root. The principal square root of 9 is 3 and the principal fourth
root of 16 is 2 and these roots are even roots.
If n is a positive odd integer and a is any real number, there is only one real nth
root of a. We call that root an odd root. Because 25  32, the fifth root of 32 is 2
and 2 is an odd root.
helpful hint We use the radical symbol  to signify roots.
n
The parts of a radical: a

Radical n
Index → symbol If n is a positive even integer and a is positive, then a denotes the principal
→n
a
 → nth root of a.
n
Radicand If n is a positive odd integer, then a denotes the nth root of a.
n
If n is any positive integer, then 0  0.
n n
We read a as “the nth root of a.” In the notation a, n is the index of the rad-
ical and a is the radicand. For square roots the index is omitted, and we simply
write a.

E X A M P L E 1 Evaluating radical expressions

Find the following roots:
a) 25 b) 27
 c) 64
 d) 4

3 6

Solution
a) Because 52  25, 25  5.
b) Because (3)  27, 27   3.
3 3

c) Because 2  64, 64   2.

6 6

d) Because 4   2, 4  (4

)  2. ■

CAUTION In radical notation, 4  represents the principal square root

of 4, so 4  2. Note that 2 is also a square root of 4, but 4
  2.
 9.1 Radicals (9–3) 469

Note that even roots of negative numbers are omitted from the definition of nth
calculator roots because even powers of real numbers are never negative. So no real number
can be an even root of a negative number. Expressions such as
,
9 81
, 64

4 6
close-up and
are not real numbers. Square roots of negative numbers will be discussed in Sec-
We can use the radical symbol
to find a square root on a
tion 9.6 when we discuss the imaginary numbers.
graphing calculator, but for
other roots we use the x th Roots and Variables
root symbol as shown. The
x th root symbol is in the Consider the result of squaring a power of x:
MATH menu. (x1)2  x 2, (x 2)2  x4, (x 3)2  x 6, and (x4)2  x8.
When a power of x is squared, the exponent is multiplied by 2. So any even power
of x is a perfect square.

Perfect Squares
The following expressions are perfect squares:
x 2, x4, x 6, x8, x 10, x12, ...

Since taking a square root reverses the operation of squaring, the square root of an
even power of x is found by dividing the exponent by 2. Provided x is nonnegative
(see Caution below), we have:

x 2  x1  x, 
x 4  x 2, 
x 6  x 3, and 
x 8  x 4.
CAUTION If x is negative, equations like 
x 2  x and 
x 6  x 3 are not
correct because the radical represents the nonnegative square root but x and x 3 are
negative. That is why we assume x is nonnegative.

If a power of x is cubed, the exponent is multiplied by 3:

(x1)3  x 3, (x 2)3  x6, (x 3)3  x 9, and (x 4)3  x12.
So if the exponent is a multiple of 3, we have a perfect cube.

Perfect Cubes
The following expressions are perfect cubes:
x3, x6, x 9, x12, x15, ...

Since the cube root reverses the operation of cubing, the cube root of any of these
perfect cubes is found by dividing the exponent by 3:

3

x 3  x1  x, 
3
x 6  x 2, 
 3
x 9  x 3, and 
 3

x12  x4.
If the exponent is divisible by 4, we have a perfect fourth power, and so on.

E X A M P L E 2 Roots of exponential expressions

Find each root. Assume that all variables represent nonnegative real numbers.
a) x 22 b)  t
3 18
c) 
5

s30
470 (9–4) Chapter 9 Radicals and Rational Exponents

Solution
a) x 22  x11 because (x11)2  x 22.
b) t  t 6 because (t 6)3  t18.
3 18

c) 
5

s30  s 6 because one-fifth of 30 is 6. ■

Product Rule for Radicals

Consider the expression 2
  3
. If we square this product, we get
calculator
(2  3)2  (2)2(3)2 Power of a product rule
23 (2)2  2 and (3)2  3
close-up  6.
You can illustrate the product The number 6  is the unique positive number whose square is 6. Because we
rule for radicals with a squared 2   3 and obtained 6, we must have 6  2  3 . This example
calculator. illustrates the product rule for radicals.

Product Rule for Radicals

The nth root of a product is equal to the product of the nth roots. In symbols,
n n n
  a  b,
ab
provided all of these roots are real numbers.

E X A M P L E 3 Using the product rule for radicals

Simplify each radical. Assume that all variables represent positive real numbers.

a) 4y b) 3y8

Solution
a) 4y
  4   y Product rule for radicals
calculator  2y Simplify.

b) 
3y  3
8
  y 8
Product rule for radicals
close-up  3 y 4

y8  y4

You can illustrate the quo-

 y 3
4
A radical is usually written last in a product. ■
tient rule for radicals with a
calculator. Quotient Rule for Radicals
Because 2
  3
  6
, we have 6
  3
  2
, or


2 63  .63
This example illustrates the quotient rule for radicals.

Quotient Rule for Radicals

The nth root of a quotient is equal to the quotient of the nth roots. In symbols,
a a
n


n
  n ,
b b
provided that all of these roots are real numbers and b  0.
 9.1 Radicals (9–5) 471

M A T H A T W O R K

Ernie Godshalk, avid sailor and owner of the

sloop Golden Eye, has competed in races all over
the world. He has learned that success in a race
depends on the winds, a good crew, lots of skill,
and knowing what makes his boat go fast.
Because of its shape and hull design, the
maximum speed (in knots) of a sailboat can be
calculated by finding the value 1.3 times the
square root of her waterline (in feet). Thus
Godshalk knows the maximum possible speed of YACHTSMAN
the Golden Eye. But decisions made while she is
under sail make the difference between attaining her maximum speed and only ap-
proaching it. For example, Godshalk knows that the pressure on the sails is what
makes the boat move at a certain speed. It is especially important to sail where the
wind is the strongest. This means that choosing the correct tack, as well as “going
where the wind is” can make the difference between coming in first and just finish-
ing the race. In Exercise 105 of this section you will calculate the maximum speed
of the Golden Eye.

In the next example we use the quotient rule to simplify radical expressions.

E X A M P L E 3 Using the quotient rule for radicals

Simplify each radical. Assume that all variables represent positive real numbers.

 
21
t 3 x
a)  b) 
9 y6

Solution
a) 
t t
   Quotient rule for radicals
9 9
t
 
3

  x
21 3 21
x
b) 3 6    Quotient rule for radicals
y  3
y6
x7
 2
y ■
Rationalizing the Denominator
Square roots such as 2, 3 , and 5  are irrational numbers. If roots of this type
appear in the denominator of a fraction, it is customary to rewrite the fraction with
a rational number in the denominator, or rationalize it. We rationalize a denomina-
tor by multiplying both the numerator and denominator by another radical that
makes the denominator rational.
You can find products of radicals in two ways. By definition, 2 is the positive
number that you multiply by itself to get 2. So
  2
2   2.
472 (9–6) Chapter 9 Radicals and Rational Exponents

By the product rule, 2   2  4   2. Note that 2  2  4 by the
3 3 3

product rule, but 4  2. By definition of a cube root,

3

2  2  2  2.

3 3 3

E X A M P L E 5 Rationalizing the denominator

Rewrite each expression with a rational denominator.
3 3
a)  b) 
5 2
3

Solution
a) Because 5   5   5, multiplying both the numerator and denominator by
helpful hint 5 will rationalize the denominator:
If you are going to compute 3 3 5 15
the value of a radical expres-        By the product rule, 3  5  15 .
sion with a calculator, it does 5 5 5 5
not matter if the denominator b) We must build up the denominator to be the cube root of a perfect cube. So we
multiply by 4 to get 4  2  8:
3 3 3 3
is rational. However, rationaliz-
ing the denominator provides
3 3 
3
4 33
4 3
3 4
another opportunity to prac-
        
2 2     ■
3 3
tice building up the denomi- 3 3
4 8 2
nator of a fraction and multi-
plying radicals.
CAUTION To rationalize a denominator with a single square root, you
simply multiply by that square root. If the denominator has a cube root, you build
the denominator to a cube root of a perfect cube, as in Example 5(b). For a fourth
root you build to a fourth root of a perfect fourth power, and so on.

Simplifying Radicals
When simplifying any expression, we try to make it look “simpler.” When simpli-
fying a radical expression, we have three specific conditions to satisfy.

Simplified Radical Form for Radicals of Index n

A radical expression of index n is in simplified radical form if it has
1. no perfect nth powers as factors of the radicand,
2. no fractions inside the radical, and
3. no radicals in the denominator.

The radical expressions in the next example do not satisfy the three conditions for
simplified radical form. To rewrite an expression in simplified form, we use the prod-
uct rule, the quotient rule, and rationalizing the denominator.

E X A M P L E 6 Writing radical expressions in simplified radical form

Simplify.
10

a) 
6
5
b) 3 
9
 9.1 Radicals (9–7) 473

Solution
a) To rationalize the denominator, multiply the numerator and denominator by 6:
10
 10
 6
   Rationalize the denominator.
6 6 6

60
 
6
415
 

.
Remove the perfect square from 60
6
215
 
6

15
  2 1
  3  5.
Reduce  to . Note that 15
3 6 3

b) To rationalize the denominator, build up the denominator to a cube root of a per-

fect cube. Because  3
9  
3
3  
3
  3, we multiply by 
27 3
3:
 5

3
5
3
   Quotient rule for radicals
9 3
9
5 
3 3
3
    Rationalize the denominator.
9
3

3
3
15
3

 
27
3

15
3

 
3 ■

Simplifying Radicals Involving Variables

In the next example we simplify square roots containing variables. Remember that
any even power of a variable is a perfect square.

E X A M P L E 7 Simplifying square roots with variables

Simplify each expression. Assume all variables represent positive real numbers.
a) 12x 6 b)  98x 5y9

Solution
a) Use the product rule to place all perfect squares under the first radical symbol
and the remaining factors under the second:

12x 6  4x 6  3 Factor out the perfect squares.
 4x6  3 Product rule for radicals
 2x 33
b) 
98x 5y9  49x 4y8  2xy
 Product rule for radicals
 7x y 2xy
2 4
 ■

In the next example we start with a square root of a quotient.

474 (9–8) Chapter 9 Radicals and Rational Exponents

E X A M P L E 8 Rationalizing the denominator with variables

Simplify each expression. Assume all variables represent positive real numbers.

a) 
a

b
b)  x3
5
y

Solution
a
study tip
a
b
a)   
b
Quotient rule for radicals

a  b
Write about what you read in   Rationalize the denominator.
the text. Sum things up in b  b
your own words. Write out im- 
 
ab
portant facts on note cards.
When you have a few spare
b


minutes in between classes 3
x3 x
review your note cards. Try to b) 5  5 Quotient rule for radicals
memorize all the information
y 
y
on the cards. 
x 2  x
  Product rule for radicals

y 4  y
xx
  Simplify.
y2y
xx  y
  Rationalize the denominator.
y2y  y
xxy xxy
2   
y y y3 ■

In the next example we simplify cube roots and fourth roots. If the exponent on
a variable is a multiple of 3, the expression is a perfect cube. If the exponent is a
multiple of 4, then the expression is a perfect fourth power.

E X A M P L E 9 Simplifying higher-index radicals with variables

Simplify. Assume the variables represent positive numbers.

y
x
a) 
3

40x8 b) 
4

x12y5 c) 3

Solution
a) Use the product rule to place the largest perfect cube factors under the first rad-
ical and the remaining factors under the second:

3
40x 8  
 3
8x 6  
 3

5x 2  2x 2
3

5x 2
b) Place the largest perfect fourth power factors under the first radical and the re-
maining factors under the second:

4
x12y5  
 4

x12y4  
4
y  x3y
4
y
c) Multiply by 
3

y2 to rationalize the denominator:
 x  x 
3
y2 
3

xy2 
3

xy2

3 3
x
3
          
y 
3
y 
3
y 3

y2 3

y3 y ■
 9.1 Radicals (9–9) 475

WARM-UPS
True or false? Explain your answer.
1. 2  2
2 2. 
3
2  
3
2  2
3. 
3
  3
27 4. 25
  5
5. 16
4
2 6. 9
3
10

7. 
29  23 8.   5
2
2 1 6
9.    10.   2
2 2 3

9.1 EXERCISES
Reading and Writing After reading this section, write out Use the product rule for radicals to simplify each expres-
the answers to these questions. Use complete sentences. sion. See Example 3.
1. How do you know if b is an nth root of a? 27. 9y 28. 16n

29. 
4a2 30. 
36n2
2. What is a principal root?
31. x
4 2
y 32. 
w6t2
33. 5m
 12
34. 
7z16
3. What is the difference between an even root and an odd 35. 
3

8y 36. 
3

27z2
root?
Simplify each radical. See Example 4.

4. What symbol is used to indicate an nth root?

37. 4t 38. 
w
36


39.  40. 

625 9
5. What is the product rule for radicals?  
16 144

41.  42. 

3 t 3a
6. What is the quotient rule for radicals? 8 27

43.   44. 1000 

8x 6
27y 36
3
3 3

y

45.  46. 

For all of the exercises in this section assume that all vari- 4a 6
9a 2

ables represent positive real numbers.  4

9 49b
Find each root. See Example 1. Rewrite each expression with a rational denominator. See
7. 36 8. 49
 Example 5.
9. 32
5
 10. 81
4
 2 5
47.  48. 
11. 3

1000 12. 
4

16 5 3
13. 4

16 14. 1
 3 6
49.  50. 
7 5
15. 
5
 2
32 16. 
3

125 1 7
51. 3  52. 3 
Find each root. See Example 2. 4 3
17.  18.   6  2
4
m2 m6
3

53. 3  54.  
19. 
y15
5
20. 
4

m8 5 
4
27
Write each radical expression in simplified radical form. See
21. 
3

y15 22. 
m8
Example 6.
23. 
3

m3 24. 
4

x4 5 7
55.  56. 
25. 
36 26. 
42  12  18
476 (9–10) Chapter 9 Radicals and Rational Exponents

3 2 
ab3 m
3 5
n
57.  58.  89.  90. 
12 18 
a3b2 n
m 5

59. 
1
2
60. 
3
8


7

1  
a2b  
5xy2
3 3
61. 3  62. 4  91.   92.  
4 5 
3
4ab2
 3

3ab5 
3

18x 2y
Simplify. See Examples 7 and 8.
63. 
12x 8 64. 
72x10

Use a calculator to find a decimal approximation to

65. 
60a9b3 66. 
63w15z7 each radical expression. Round to three decimal
places.

xy xa
2
67. 68. 5
93. 
3
94. 227
95. 3 
1
3  96. 
3

56

ab wy
3 5
3
9 
4

25
69. 7 70. 8 97.  98. 
4
3
5
6

16
99.  100. 
5
2
2.4883
 3
4
Simplify. See Example 9.
71. 
3

16x13
72. 
3

24x17 In Exercises 101–108, solve each problem.
101. Factoring in the wind. Through experimentation in
Antarctica, Paul Siple developed the formula
73. 
4

x9y6 74. 
4

w14y7
(10.5 6.7v  0.45v)(457  5t)
W  91.4  
75. 
5

64x22 76. 
5

x12y5z3 110

to calculate the wind chill temperature W (in degrees

77. 
3
a

b
78. 
3
a
2
w
Fahrenheit) from the wind velocity v [in miles per hour
(mph)] and the air temperature t (in degrees Fahrenheit).
Find the wind chill temperature when the air tempera-
ture is 25°F and the wind velocity is 20 mph. Use the
accompanying graph to estimate the wind chill temper-
Simplify. ature when the air temperature is 25°F and the wind
79. 
4

312 80. 
3

29 velocity is 30 mph.

81. 
102 82. 
104
25
Wind chill temperature (F)
for 25F air temperature

20

 1
15
8x 12b
83.  84.  10
49 21 5
0
5 10 15 20 25 30
5
10

85. 
4
32a

81
86. 
4 162y

625
15
Wind velocity (mph)

FIGURE FOR EXERCISE 101

87. 
3
27x9
 y8 88. 
4

32y8z11
102. Comparing wind chills. Use the formula from Exer-
cise 101 to determine who will feel colder: a person in
 9.1 Radicals (9–11) 477

Minneapolis at 10°F with a 15-mph wind or a person in of naval architects is planning to build a boat with a
Chicago at 20°F with a 25-mph wind. displacement of 21.44 cubic meters (m3), a sail area of
320.13 square meters (m2), and a length of 21.22 m.
103. Diving time. The time t (in seconds) that it takes for a Does this boat satisfy the inequality? If the length and
cliff diver to reach the water is a function of the height displacement of this boat cannot be changed, then how
h (in feet) from which he dives: many square meters of sail area must be removed so
that the boat satisfies the inequality?
t h

16
107. Landing a Piper Cheyenne. Aircraft design engineers
determine the proper landing speed V [in feet per sec-
a) Use the properties of radicals to simplify this ond (ft/sec)] for an airplane from the formula


formula. 841L
b) Find the exact time (according to the formula) that V  ,
CS
it takes for a diver to hit the water when diving
from a height of 40 feet. where L is the gross weight of the aircraft in pounds
c) Use the accompanying graph to estimate the height (lb), C is the coefficient of lift, and S is the wing sur-
if a diver takes 2.5 seconds to reach the water? face area in square feet. According to Piper Aircraft of
Vero Beach, Florida, the Piper Cheyenne has a gross
weight of 8700 lb, a coefficient of lift of 2.81, and a
wing surface area of 200 ft2. Find the proper landing
speed for this plane. What is the landing speed in miles
per hour (mph)?
3
108. Landing speed and weight. Because the gross weight
of the Piper Cheyenne depends on how much fuel and
Time (seconds)

2 cargo are on board, the proper landing speed (from

Exercise 107) is not always the same. The formula
 gives the landing speed as a function of
V  1.496L
1 the gross weight only.
a) Find the landing speed if the gross weight is 7000 lb.
0 b) What gross weight corresponds to a landing speed
0 20 40 60 80 100 of 115 ft/sec?
Height (feet)

FIGURE FOR EXERCISE 103

GET TING MORE INVOLVED
104. Sky diving. The formula in Exercise 103 accounts for
the effect of gravity only on a falling object. According 109. Cooperative learning. Work in a group to determine
to that formula, how long would it take a sky diver to whether each equation is an identity. Explain your
reach the earth when jumping from 17,000 feet? (A sky answers.
diver can actually get about twice as much falling time a)  x2   x  b)  3
x3   x 

by spreading out and using the air to slow the fall.) c)  x x
4 2
d)  4
x4   x 
For which values of n is n
x n  x an identity?
105. Maximum sailing speed. To find the maximum pos- 110. Cooperative learning. Work in a group to determine
sible speed in knots (nautical miles per hour) for a whether each inequality is correct.
sailboat, sailors use the formula M  1.3w , where a) 0.9
 0.9 b) 1.01 1.01
w is the length of the waterline in feet. If the waterline
for the sloop Golden Eye is 20 feet, then what is the c) 3
 0.99 d) 
0.99 3
 1.001
1.001
maximum speed of the Golden Eye? For which values of x and n is  n
x x?
111. Discussion. If your test scores are 80 and 100, then
106. America’s Cup. Since 1988 basic yacht dimensions for the arithmetic mean of your scores is 90. The geomet-
the America’s Cup competition have satisfied the in- ric mean of the scores is a number h such that
equality 80 h
  .
h 100
L 1.25S  9.8
3

D 16.296,
Are you better off with the arithmetic mean or the
where L is the boat’s length in meters (m), S is the sail geometric mean?
area in square meters, and D is the displacement in
cubic meters (Scientific American, May 1992). A team