Thread: Simplifying Radical Expressions

I understand how to simplify the expressions however using absolute value signs is confusing. For instance:

-1 Square root:44(a^4)(b^2)

= -1*2(a^2)b square root:11
but where would the absolute value signs go? around the (a^2)b or somewhere else?

Also on a question like:

-3 Square root:75(h^5)

= -3*5(h^2) square root:3h

but again, where would the absolute sign go?

Thank you!

Originally Posted by maryginsh

I understand how to simplify the expressions however using absolute value signs is confusing. For instance:

-1 Square root:44(a^4)(b^2)

= -1*2(a^2)b square root:11
but where would the absolute value signs go? around the (a^2)b or somewhere else?

Thank you!

Note that b is the square root of

The index is even, so the principal root is nonnegative. Since b could be negative, you must take the absolute value of b to identify the principal root.

Originally Posted by maryginsh

I understand how to simplify the expressions however using absolute value signs is confusing. For instance:

Also on a question like:

-3 Square root:75(h^5)

= -3*5(h^2) square root:3h

but again, where would the absolute sign go?

Thank you!

There would be no absolute value sign needed here since the variable h is squared and would produce a positive value anyway.