Working with square roots - preparing for GRE

**tbee** · January 2nd 2009, 03:32 PM

Math is absolutely my worst subject and I am now struggling to learn math all over again in preparation for my GRE. Can you please help me solve and explain the two following problems?

(√300) ∕ (√12)

(√5) (√2) - √90

Thank you

**Last_Singularity** · January 2nd 2009, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by tbee

Math is absolutely my worst subject and I am now struggling to learn math all over again in preparation for my GRE. Can you please help me solve and explain the two following problems?

(√300) ∕ (√12)

(√5) (√2) - √90

Thank you

Note that $\sqrt{x} \sqrt{y} = \sqrt{xy}$ , so for example, $\sqrt{5} \sqrt{2}=\sqrt{10}$

And $\sqrt{x}/\sqrt{y} = \sqrt{x/y}$ , so for example, $\sqrt{300}/ \sqrt{12} = \sqrt{300/12}$

**tbee** · January 2nd 2009, 04:04 PM

Thanks, how about the second problem. The book answer is -2√10 and I can't figure out how they came up with that since you can only add/subtract when numbers inside square root are identical and have no idea of how to break it down.

**Last_Singularity** · January 2nd 2009, 04:42 PM

$\sqrt{5}\sqrt{2} - \sqrt{90}$

$\sqrt{(2)(5)}- \sqrt{(9)(10)}$

$\sqrt{10} - \sqrt{9} \sqrt{10}$

$\sqrt{10} - 3 \sqrt{10}$

$- 2 \sqrt{10}$

**lebanon** · January 10th 2009, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by tbee

Math is absolutely my worst subject and I am now struggling to learn math all over again in preparation for my GRE. Can you please help me solve and explain the two following problems?

(√300) ∕ (√12)

(√5) (√2) - √90

Thank you

the solution is:
=10 redical 3 / 2 redical 3
=5

redical 10 - 3 redical 10
= -2 redical 10

**Grandad** · January 10th 2009, 10:06 PM

Hello lebanon

Originally Posted by lebanon

the solution is:
=10 redical 3 / 2 redical 3
=8 redical 3

redical 10 - 3 redical 10
= -2 redical 10

Your first solution above is the answer to the problem $\sqrt{300} - \sqrt{12}$ , not $\sqrt{300} / \sqrt{12}$ . This is because $\sqrt{300} = \sqrt{100\times 3} = 10\sqrt{3}$ and $\sqrt{12} = \sqrt{4\times 3} = 2\sqrt{3}$ . Is that you meant?

Grandad

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