SOLUTION: Rationalizing the Denominator
Numerator is 6
Denominator is 2 times the radical expression square root of five plus 2.
I can't figure out how to rationalize this denominator
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Numerator is 6
Denominator is 2 times the radical expression square root of five plus 2.
I can't figure out how to rationalize this denominator
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Question 285880: Rationalizing the Denominator
Numerator is 6
Denominator is 2 times the radical expression square root of five plus 2.
I can't figure out how to rationalize this denominator because of the extra "+2" at the end of the denominator. If you could please explain what I need to do and WHY I need to do it, that would be awesome! I can usually figure these things out once I know why I need to do a particular step.
My book says the answer is
Numerator is 3 times the radical expression square root of 5-3
Denominator is 4.
I know that I should multiply both the numerator and the denominator by the radical, but I've come up with a million wrong answers and still can't figure out where the book finds a way to put a 3 in the numerator.
Do I multiply by 2 times the radical MINUS 2 over itself?
I just can't figure out where this silly 3 comes into play.
Any help with this question is greatly appreciated, because I know it will help with the rest of my assignment as well as on my test!
Thanks in advance. Answer by ankor@dixie-net.com(22740) (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Numerator is 6
Denominator is 2 times the radical expression square root of five plus 2.
:
Assume the problem is:
We have to multiply the expression by the conjugate of the denominator over itself
(same as multiplying by 1) =
FOIL the denominators, the middle term cancels, get rid of the radical =
You can factor out the 2 in the denominator and you have
reduce the fraction 12/16 to 3/4
Multiply inside the brackets, give the answer that you have
