SOLUTION: I have had a hard time figuring out this problem. Please help. The problem is the square root of 3 divided by the square root of 3 + the square root of 2. I think that the squa

Question 48331: I have had a hard time figuring out this problem. Please help. The problem is the square root of 3 divided by the square root of 3 + the square root of 2. I think that the square roots of t3 can cancel out and the answer be 1/square root of two.
Answer by longjonsilver(2297) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
DEFINITELY DEFINITELY NOT!!!!!!!!

is treated just like which would be 3/5. You would not say cancel the 3's leaving 1/2.

Treat it as any normal fraction and apply Rules of Fractions and not your own made up rules :-)

Now, with radicals (or surds) ie square roots, we tend to want no square roots on the denominator. Why? because that is the preferred way of writing radical fractions as far as i understand.

So we need to convert the to a rational number. We do this by multiplying by 1 (so the thing we started with is unchanged but we write 1 in this example as

So, we have

which is

Now what is the point of doing this? Well multiply out the terms on the denominator and they will simplify to 3-2 which in this case is a lovely 1.

As hopefully you can appreciate that this is somewhat simpler than what we started with.

Use your calculator to work out the value of both the original and my answer to show yourself that they are the same value.

Jon.

RELATED QUESTIONS
Solve the equation by using the square root method. {{{x^2=256}}} I am having a hard... (answered by jim_thompson5910,stanbon)

Hi, this is a division problem i am having a hard time figuring out. the question is... (answered by Mathtut)

I need help figuring out how to do this problem, the square root of 2 time the square... (answered by benni1013)

I am having a hard time trying to figure out this problem. What is the square root of... (answered by stanbon)

Solve the quadratic equation by factoring. {{{x^2=400}}} I am having a hard time... (answered by jim_thompson5910)

Please help me simplify this problem: square root of 8 divided by 2 times the square root (answered by Cintchr)

I have had a hard time trying to figure out this problem: Its a right triangle with a... (answered by ankor@dixie-net.com)

I'm having a really hard time figuring this problem out please help What is the area... (answered by RAY100)

Good day,I need some help with some problems that are given me a hard time,it's square... (answered by tutorcecilia)