Week 9 - Surds

19/10/2013 1
19 October 2013
Contents
Simplifying a Surd
Rationalising a Surd
Conjugate Pairs
Trial & Improvement
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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

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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
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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
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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
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