Adding and Subtracting

Surds That Require

Simplifying
Sarah Allott
www.drfrost.org
@DrFrostMaths

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@DrFrostResource

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Last modified:3rd January 2025 charity in England and Wales (no
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Teacher Notes
Prerequisite
Knowledge Future Links
• Prime factor decomposition • Expanding brackets with surds
• Simplifying surds • Trigonometry with exact values
• Adding and subtracting surds where • Pythagoras’ Theorem with surds
simplification is not required • Rationalising the denominator in the
form
• Rationalising a denominator in the
form

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Skills in this Lesson
336 Adding and subtracting surds
336b Add or subtract surds that require simplifying

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 Show

Prerequisite Knowledge Check all

solutio
ns

1 Calculate the following:

a b c

? ? ?

d e f

? ? ?

2 Simplify the following: N

a Write and both in the form .
a b ,
? ? ?
Using your answers to part
c d b (a), calculate:

? ? ?
Recap: Adding and Subtracting Surds
When adding or subtracting Test Your
surds, the radicands need to be Understanding
the same.

These a ?
andradicands are the same.
and

These
b 7 √ 3 − √ 3=𝟔 √? 𝟑
and radicands are not
and the
same.

c 8 √7 +2 √ 7+9 √2=𝟗 √ 𝟕+𝟗

? √𝟐

Add or subtract surds by adding

or subtracting the number in
front of the surd.
d 4 √ 6 − 2 √ 6 +8 √ 6=𝟏𝟎?√𝟔
?
9 √ 5 −6 √5=𝟑 √? 𝟓
Recap: Simplifying Surds
Simplify Test Your
Understanding
¿ √ 16 × 5 a Write in its simplest form.

Decompose the radicand into a

multiplication with the biggest square
factor. ?
¿ √ 16 × √ 5
¿ 4 × √5
Split the surd (using reverse b Simplify
multiplication) and find any roots you
can.
¿ 𝟒 √𝟓
Multiply everything ?
together.

It can be difficult to find the

biggest square factor. Let’s
look at an alternative method.
Recap: Simplifying Surds
Write in the form Test Your
Understanding
√ 500¿ √ 100 ×5 a Write in its simplest form.

¿ √ 10 ×10 × 5
¿ √ 2 ×5 × 2× 5 ×5 ?
¿ √ 2 × √ 5 × √2 × √5 × √ 5
Find the prime factor decomposition of
the radicand.
b Simplify
¿ √ 2 × √ 2 × √5 × √5 × √ 5
¿ 2 × 5 × Make √ 5any
¿ 10 × √
factor pairs ?
you5can.

¿ 𝟏𝟎 √ 𝟓
 The Big Idea: Adding Surds with
Simplification
Logan and Hannah are working on a surd addition problem, but they disagree.
Who do you agree with?

Calculate

It’s easy to add I don’t think we can add

can betogether.
these simplified.
, so them together. The
radicandscan be too!
aren’t the
same!

Logan Hannah
Hannah is right, the
Assume we can add the How could we simplify
radicands need to be the
radicands. the surds in the question
same to add them
This would mean that: so they could be added
together. Look at this
together?
example.

Then
Professor Cheng
But
The Big Idea: Adding Surds with
Simplification
Calculate

¿ 2 √ 2+3 √ 2 Now the radicands are

the same! We just add
¿𝟓√𝟐 the integers in front of
the surds.

Hannah
Calculate

Even after I’ve

simplified, the ¿ 2 √ 2+2 √ 5
radicands aren’t the
same. Now what?

The radicands aren’t the

Logan same, so we cannot add these
surds together.

Professor Cheng
Example Test Your
Understanding
Calculate Calculate

√ 125¿ √ 25 × √5 √ 63¿ √ 9 × √ 7
√ 125=5 × √ 5 √ 125=3 × √7
? Simplify

First, simplify
each of the
√ 125=5 √ 5 √ 125=3 √ 7
surds in the
question. √ 245¿ √ 49× √ 5 √ 28¿ √ 4 × √ 7
√ 125=7 × √5 √ 125=2 ×√7
? Simplify

√ 125=7 √ 5 √ 125=2 √ 7
Rewrite the question using the √ 63+ √ 28¿?3 √7 +2 √ 7
simplified surds and add them
together! ¿ 𝟓?√ 𝟕
√ 125+ √245¿ 5 √ 5+7 √ 5
¿ 𝟏𝟐 √ 𝟓
drfrost.org/ 336b
s/
Example Test Your
Understanding
Calculate Calculate

√ 175¿ √ 25 × √7 √ 128¿ 64 × √ 2
√ 125=5 × √ 7 √ 125=8? × √ 2
First, simplify
each of the
√ 125=5 √ 7 √ 125=8 √ 2
surds in the
question.
√ 28¿ √ 4 × √ 7 √ 18¿ √ 9 × √ 2
√ 125=2 × √ 7 √ 125=3? × √2
√ 125=2 √ 7 √ 125=3 √ 2
Rewrite the question using the √ 128 − √ 18¿?8 √2 − 3 √ 2
simplified surds and subtract them!
¿ 𝟓?√ 𝟐
√ 175 − √ 28¿ 5 √ 7 − 2 √7
¿𝟑√𝟕
drfrost.org/ 336b
s/
The Big Idea: Subtracting Surds with
Simplification
Viktor and Imani are carrying out the following surd
subtraction.
They have different answers. Who do you agree with?
Calculate

Viktor I tested square

numbers and found I used the prime Imani
that is a factor of I factor
stopped checking decomposition
because you don’t because is a big
normally have to number!
check any factor
bigger than .

Cannot be calculated

Imani is correct.
Viktor has not fully simplified
Quickfire Questions drfrost.org/ 336b
s/

Calculate the following, giving your answers in their simplest

form.
a √ 8 + √ 32 b √ 27 + √ 75
? ?

c √ 72 − √ 32 d √ 384 − √ 24
? ?

e √ 32+ √ 72+ √ 162 f √ 245 − √ 80 − √ 75

? ?
Spot the Mistake
Abdi has made two mistakes while
calculating . What are they?

Reveal Reveal
mistake 1 mistake 2

Therefore… Abdi has Abdi has

incorrectly incorrectly applied
simplified these the order of
surds. operations.
Addition and subtraction
What should the have the same
correct precedence. They are
simplifications be? applied from left to
right.
What is the
But I thought ?
Abdi addition came correct
answer?
before
subtraction!
√
𝟖? 𝟑
Test Your Understanding
Calculate the following, giving your answers in their simplest
form.

a
√ 45+ √ 180 − √80 ?

Addition and
b
√ 112− √28 + √ 7 ? subtraction are
done from left to
right.

c 8 × √ 20 − √ 80 ?
Challenge Questions

a ( √72 − √32
I tried
)(
to do√ 8+ √ 50
)
this by
expanding the Mrs Clark ?
Mar bracket and
ia got stuck!
It’s definitely
possible, but
we’ll look at
this in a future
lesson!

b
√ 40+ √ 160 ?

√50 − √ 8
Example Test Your
Understanding
Calculate Calculate

7 √ 72+5 √ 8=¿7 × √ 72+5 × √ 8 6 √80 + √ 45=¿6 × √ 80+

? √ 45
Decompose the surd terms and
simplify each surd as required. √ 125=6 × 4 ?√5+3 √ 5
√ 125=7 ×6 √ 2+5 ×2 √ 2 √ 125=24 √5+3
? √5
Associate the integer with their
respective simplified surd. √ 125=𝟐𝟕 √? 𝟓
√ 125=42 √ 2+10 √2
√ 125=𝟓𝟐 √ 𝟐

drfrost.org/ 336b
s/
 Example Test Your
Understanding
Calculate Calculate

5 √ 48− 3 √ 12=¿
5 × √ 48 −3 × √ 12 4 √ 50 − 4 √ 8=¿4 × √ 50?− 4 × √ 8
Decompose the surd terms and
simplify each surd as required. √ 125=4 ×5 √ 2?− 4 ×2 √ 2
√ 125=5 × 4 √ 3 −3 × 2 √ 3 √ 125=20 √ 2 −8? √2
Associate the integer with their
respective simplified surd. √ 125=𝟏𝟐 √
?𝟐

√ 125=20 √ 3 −6 √ 3
√ 125=𝟏𝟒 √ 𝟑

drfrost.org/ 336b
s/
Quickfire Questions drfrost.org/ 336b
s/

Calculate the following, giving your answers in their simplest

form.
a 7 √ 45+2 √ 20 b 3 √ 50+ 2 √32

? ?

c 9 √ 18 − 5 √8 d 7 √ 80 − 7 √ 20

? ?
Just For Interest
Why can’t we just add That’s great… but
or subtract the what does this
radicands? mean?
Basma Nathan

Assume that . Assume that .

Then Then

𝑎+2 √ 𝑎𝑏+𝑏=𝑎+𝑏 𝑎− 2 √ 𝑎𝑏+𝑏=𝑎− 𝑏

− 𝑎↓ ↓ −𝑎 − 𝑎↓ ↓ −𝑎
2 √ 𝑎𝑏+𝑏=𝑏 −2 √ 𝑎𝑏+𝑏=− 𝑏
−𝑏 ↓ ↓ −𝑏 −𝑏 ↓ ↓ −𝑏
2 √ 𝑎𝑏=0 −2 √ 𝑎𝑏=−2 𝑏
÷2↓ ↓÷2 ÷ −2 ↓ ↓ ÷− 2
√ 𝑎𝑏=0 √ 𝑎𝑏=𝑏
∎2 ↓ ↓ ∎2 ∎2 ↓ ↓ ∎2
𝑎𝑏=0 𝑎𝑏=𝑏
2

÷𝑏↓ ↓÷𝑏
or
𝒂=𝒃
Just For Interest
Assume that . Assume that .
. .
. .
. .

𝑎𝑏=0 𝒂=𝒃
or

If then: If then:

Since , then
It is
generally
accepted This is a true
that statement.
This is a true statement.
A similar result occurs if Subtracting the radicands
only works if .

Adding the radicands only works

if or (or both).
 Show
(Available as a separate
Exercise worksheet)
all
solutio
ns

1 Calculate the following, giving your answers in the simplest form:

a b c d

? ? ? ?

e f g h

? ? ? ?

2 [AQA GCSE Nov 2012 1H Q17]

Write in the form where is an integer.

Therefore:
Hint ?
 Show
(Available as a separate
Exercise worksheet)
all
solutio
ns

3 [Edexcel IGCSE Jan 2018 3H Q20a]

where is an integer.
Find the value of .
Therefore:

Hint ?

4 Fill in the blank in the question below. Give your answer in the form
.
?

Hint ?
 Show
(Available as a separate
Exercise worksheet)
all
solutio
ns

5 Calculate the following, giving your answers in the simplest form:

a b c d

? ? ? ?

e f g h

? ? ? ?

6 a b

? ?
 Show
(Available as a separate
Exercise worksheet)
all
solutio
ns

7 a)
a Find the value of 4 √ 6+ √ 98

3 √2
𝒙=𝟑 √ 𝟐+𝟐 √ 𝟔
a)
b Find the value of
𝑦

2 √6
√ 6 + √ 18

c Find the perimeter of the shape in the form

 Show
(Available as a separate
Exercise worksheet)
all
solutio
ns

8 [Edexcel IAL Mathematics Jun 2022 Pure 1 Q3i]

Show that is an integer and find its value.

√ 180− √ 80 = 6 √5 − 4 √5 = 2 √5 =𝟐
?
√5 √5 √5

N [Edexcel GCSE(9-1) Mock Set 2 Spring 2017 3H Q14]

and where and are positive integers.
Given that find, in its simplest form, the ratio .

Since , From this, we can see that

Therefore Therefore
¿ 3 √7 +3 √ 𝑐