Surd Q/A2: Simplifying Complex Surds Easily

Hello amazing people! It’s another beautiful day to learn Mathematics. Today, we’re simplifying a large surd to its simplest form.

Whenever you come across a large surd, the first step is to divide the number under the root by its smallest factor. In this example, we’re dealing with √50, √18, and √8, and the smallest common factor for all of them is 2.

For instance, √50 can be expressed as √2 × √25. Since 25 is a perfect square, it becomes easier to simplify. The same method applies to the other surds as well.

Afterward, we factor out the common terms, cancel where necessary, and simplify the expression to its lowest form. In this case, our final answer is 8.

See detail workings below:

Tools Used

Graphics tablet/Pen Miro online white board Laptop

Video edited with VSDC