Radical Equation
A Radical Equation
is an equation with
Radical Equations
a square root or
cube root, etc.
TO SOLVE RADICAL EQUATION
Follow these simple steps:
1. isolate the square root on one side of the equation
2. square both sides of the equation
Example: solve (2x+9) 5 = 0
isolate the square root: (2x+9) = 5
square both sides: 2x+9 = 25
Now it should be easier to solve!
Move 9 to right: 2x = 25 9 = 16
Divide by 2: x = 16/2 = 8
Answer: x = 8
Check: (28+9) 5 = (25) 5 = 5 5 = 0
More Than One Square Root
What if there are two or more square roots? Easy! Just repeat the
process for each one.
It will take longer (lots more steps) ... but nothing too hard.
Example: solve (2x5) (x1) = 1
isolate one of the square roots: (2x5) = 1 + (x1)
square both sides: 2x5 = (1 + (x1))2
We have removed one square root.
Expand right hand side: 2x5 = 1 + 2(x1) + (x1)
Simplify: 2x5 = 2(x1) + x
Subtract x from both sides: x5 = 2(x1)
Now do the "square root" thing again:
isolate the square root: (x1) = (x5)/2
square both sides: x1 = ((x5)/2)2
We have now successfully removed both square roots.
Let us continue on with the solution
.
Expand right hand side: x1 = (x2 10x + 25)/4
It is a Quadratic Equation! So let us put it in standard form.
Multiply by 4 to remove division: 4x4 = x2 10x + 25
Bring all to left: 4x 4 x2 + 10x 25 = 0
Combine like terms: x2 + 14x 29 = 0
Swap all signs: x2 14x + 29 = 0
Using the Quadratic Formula (a=1, b=14, c=29) gives the solutions:
2.53 and 11.47 (to 2 decimal places)
Let us check the solutions:
2.53: (22.535) (2.531) 1 Oops! Should be plus 1!
11.47: (211.475) (11.471) 1 Yes that one works.
There is really only one solution:
Answer: 11.47 (to 2 decimal places)