Question 87847:  simplify  
square root of 108 
 Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256)      (Show Source): 
You can  put this solution on YOUR website!   Start with the given expression 
The goal of simplifying expressions with square roots is to factor the radicand into a product of two numbers. One of these two numbers must be a perfect square. This way the perfect square will become a rational number.
 
So let's list the factors of 108
 
Factors:
 
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 27, 36, 54,
 
 
 
Notice how 36 is the largest perfect square, so lets break 108 down into 36*3
 
 
 
  Factor 108 into 36*3 
  
  Break up the square roots using the identity   
  
  Take the square root of the perfect square 36 to get 6  
  
So the expression
 
 
 
 
 
simplifies to
 
 
  
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