SOLUTION: can you reduce 48 sqrt (3) and can someone please give me a few helpful tips on remembering how to reduce them because i have alot of trouble. thanks!:)

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Question 621297: can you reduce 48 sqrt (3)
and can someone please give me a few helpful tips on remembering how to reduce them because i have alot of trouble.
thanks!:)

Answer by fcabanski(874) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
When a square root is involved factor whatever is inside the square root sign to prime numbers. Any prime number repeated twice, factor out (once). If it repeats twice it is a perfect square.


sqrt%2816%29 for example. Factor to 2*8. 8 can be further factored to 2*4, so now we have 2*2*4. 4 can be factored to 2*2 so now we have 2*2*2*2.


Since there are two pairs of 2's pull two 2's out of the square root: 2*2* sqrt%280%29 = 4.


48sqrt%283%29 cannot be factored because 3 is already a prime number.


sqrt%288%29 | 8 factors to 2*2*2. Pull out two of the 2's, so one remains inside the square root:


2sqrt%282%29

Hope the solution helped. Sometimes you need more than a solution. Contact fcabanski@hotmail.com for online, private tutoring, or personalized problem solving (quick for groups of problems.)