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Surds

Week 9 covers surds including simplifying and rationalizing surds, conjugate pairs, and trial and improvement. The document contains information on simplifying surds by splitting the radicand into factors with at least one being a square number. It also discusses rationalizing surds by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the radical term to remove it. Conjugate pairs are introduced where the expressions under the radical signs are identical apart from the sign, allowing the surds to cancel out. Trial and improvement is presented as a method of making guesses and systematically improving them to find the solution.

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Sha Mercs
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668 views27 pages

Surds

Week 9 covers surds including simplifying and rationalizing surds, conjugate pairs, and trial and improvement. The document contains information on simplifying surds by splitting the radicand into factors with at least one being a square number. It also discusses rationalizing surds by multiplying the numerator and denominator by the radical term to remove it. Conjugate pairs are introduced where the expressions under the radical signs are identical apart from the sign, allowing the surds to cancel out. Trial and improvement is presented as a method of making guesses and systematically improving them to find the solution.

Uploaded by

Sha Mercs
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 27

Week 9 - Surds

19/10/2013 1
19 October 2013
Contents
Simplifying a Surd
Rationalising a Surd
Conjugate Pairs
Trial & Improvement
19/10/2013 2
Starter Questions
Use a calculator to find the values of :

= 6 = 12
= 3 = 2
36
144
3
8
4
16
2
3
21
41 . 1 ~ 76 . 2 ~
What is a Surd ?
These roots have exact values and are
called rational


These roots do NOT have exact values
and are called irrational OR


= 6
= 12
Surds
36
144
2
3
21
41 . 1 ~ 76 . 2 ~
Adding & Subtracting Surds
To add or subtract surds such as \2,
treat as a single object.
Eg.

Note :

2 + 3 does not
equal 5
2 10
2 6 2 4
=
+
23 9
23 7 23 16
=

3 4 3 7 3 10 +
3 13 =
Multiplying Surds
4 6 24 =
a b ab =
4 10 40 =
Eg



List the first 10 square numbers
1, 2, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100
Simplifying Surds
Some square roots can be simplified
by using this rule -

\12
To simplify \12 we must split 12 into
factors with at least one being a square
number.
= \4 x \3
Now simplify the square root.
= 2 \3
Have a go -
You need to look for square numbers

\ 45
= \9 x \5
= 3\5
\ 32
= \16 x \2
= 4\2
\ 72
= \4 x \18
= 2 x \9 x \2
= 2 x 3 x \2
= 6\2
Simplifying Surds
Simplify the following square roots :

(1) \ 20 (2) \ 27 (3) \ 48



(4) \ 75 (5) \ 4500 (6) \ 3200




= 2\5 = 3\3 = 4\3
= 5\3
= 30\5 = 40\2
Starter Questions
Simplify :

= 25 = 32
= =
20 18
1 x 1
2 2
1 x 1
4 4
Second Rule
4 4 4 =
a a a =
13 13 13 =
Examples
Rationalising Surds
Remember fractions



Fractions can contain surds in the
numerator, denominator or both:


1 Numerator
2 Denominator
5
3
3 4
5
5 3
2 3

Rationalising Surds
a a a =
Removing the surd form numerator or
denominator

Remember the rules

This will help us to rationalise a surd
fraction

a b ab =
Rationalising Surds
Multiply top and bottom by the square
root you are trying to remove:

Remember
\5 x \5 = \ 25 = 5 )
5
3
Multiply top and bottom by 5
= X
5
5
5
3
5
5 3
Rationalising Surds
Remember multiply top and bottom by
root you are trying to remove

= X =
7
7
7 2
3
7 2
3
14
7 3
7 2
7 3
=
X
Rationalising Surds
Rationalise the denominator

5
5
5 7
10
5 7
10
X =
7
5 2
5 7
5 10
=
X
Rationalise the Denominator
7 3
=
3
2 6
=
3
7 10
=
15
2 2
9
=
2 15
=
21
3 6
=
11
3
7
6
4
10 3
14
2 9
4
3 7
5 2
2 11
3 6
Conjugate Pairs - Starter Questions
Multiply out :

= 3
= 14
3 3X
14 14X
) 3 12 )( 3 12 ( +
Conjugate Pairs.
This is a conjugate pair.
The brackets are identical apart from the
sign in each bracket .
Multiplying out the brackets we get :

When the brackets are multiplied out the
surds ALWAYS cancel out leaving a
rational expression


\5 x \5 - 2 \5 + 2 \5 - 4 = 5 - 4 = 1
(\5 + 2)(\5 - 2)
Conjugate Pairs - Third Rule
( )( )
7 3 7 3 +
( )( )
a b a b a b + =
( )( )
11 5 11 5 +
= 7 3 = 4
= 11 5 = 6


Eg.


Rationalising Surds
Rationalise the denominator in the
expressions below by multiplying top and
bottom by the appropriate conjugate:

1 5
2

= =
+
+

X
1 5
1 5
1 5
2
4
) 1 5 ( 2
1 5
) 1 5 ( 2 +

+
= =
2
1 5+
=
Rationalising Surds
Another one ...
) 2 3 (
7

= =
+
+

X
) 2 3 (
) 2 3 (
) 2 3 (
7
) 2 3 ( 7
) 2 3 (
) 2 3 ( 7
+ = =

+
Rationalising the Denominator
Rationalise the denominator in the
expressions below :

= 3 + 6
- 5
=
6( 6 - 4)
- 6
=
7( 5 - 11)
5( 7 + 2)
=
3
) 2 7 (
5

) 2 3 (
3

12
4 6+
7
11 5+
Trial and Improvement
A method which involves making a
guess and then systematically improving
it until you reach the answer
Eg. x
2
+ 5 = 24 What is x?
Make an initial guess, maybe x = 3
Try it and then keep improving the guess

19/10/2013 24
Trial and Improvement
Try Working Out
x
2
+ 5
Result
x = 3 3
2
+ 5 = 14 Too small
x = 4 4
2
+ 5 = 21

Too small
x = 5 5
2
+ 5 = 30

Too big
19/10/2013 25
x = 4.5 4.5
2
+ 5 = 25.25 Too big
x = 4.4 4.4
2
+ 5 = 24.36

Too big
x = 4.3 4.3
2
+ 5 = 23.49

Too small
Trial and Improvement
There is an answer between 4.3 and 4.4



So x= 4.36 to 2 dp
19/10/2013 26
x = 4.35 4.35
2
+ 5 = 23.9225 Too small
x = 4.36 4.36
2
+ 5 = 24.0096

Too big
Session Summary
Surds
Simplifying Surds
Rationalising Surds
Conjugate Pairs
Trail & Improvement
19/10/2013 27

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