anyone know where i can find...

[synapsis]

I'm not bad at math, but during the course of my studies i neglected to take the time to learn how to deal with radical expressions, explicitly simplifying radical expressions. I'm a current college algebra student, and i've been scraping by with limited confidence and knowledge of dealing with radicals. My question is, does anyone know of a book i can look for, for teaching how to deal with radicals, or a good website i can take a look at. I have so many questions, i can't rightly take up class time, especially when we well beyond these concepts, and i am afraid that if i don't grasp these concepts now, i will be in big trouble down the road. I know i can always post problems here, but i have so many questions, i don't want to flood the boards with help requests. Thx for your time and i hope you can offer some suggestions.

 

[Denis]

A http://www.google.com search on "solving radicals" will give you many sites,
like: http://www.purplemath.com/modules/solverad.htm

One important thing to remember is [sqrt(n)]^2 = n;
so squaring a radical removes the radical sign.
Example:
sqrt(n) = 23
square both sides:
n = 23^2 = 529

I suggest you post a few you're struggling with; one per post; perhaps 3 or 4...

 

[synapsis]

I'll try posting one that i can't work through. I'm not quite sure how to write this part, but it's the the # resting in the notch of the root, i guess i can called it the 4th root of...

so the problem that i am stuck on is... the 4th rt of 54y^2 * the forth root of 48y^4

If you could show me some steps on dealing with this, maybe i can start to get a better hold on this stuff.

 

[TchrQbic]

I'll try posting one that i can't work through. I'm not quite sure how to write this part, but it's the the # resting in the notch of the root, i guess i can called it the 4th root of...

so the problem that i am stuck on is... the 4th rt of 54y^2 * the forth root of 48y^4

If you could show me some steps on dealing with this, maybe i can start to get a better hold on this stuff.

That number is the index of the root, and 4 indicates a fourth root. The product of two roots equals the root of the product. Your problem (54y^2)^¼ * (48y^4)^¼ = [54y^2 * 48y^4]^¼, with * indicating multiplication.

Then you can simplify by factoring into factors with known roots. For example, ir your problem were the fourth root of 80y^7, you could factor 80y^7 into 16*5*y^4*y^3 and the fourth root of 16y^4 would be taken out as 2y. The correct simplification would be 2y(5y³)^¼.

I hope that assists you.

 

[Denis]

I'll try posting one that i can't work through. I'm not quite sure how to write this part, but it's the the # resting in the notch of the root, i guess i can called it the 4th root of...
so the problem that i am stuck on is... the 4th rt of 54y^2 * the forth root of 48y^4
If you could show me some steps on dealing with this, maybe i can start to get a better hold on this stuff.

This is how them things are "shown":
square root of n: n^(1/2) or sqrt(n)
cube root of n: n^(1/3)
4th root of n : n^(1/4)
5th root of n : n^(1/5)
and so on...

So your "4th rt of 54y^2 * the forth root of 48y^4" would be:
(54y^2)^(1/4) * (48y^4)^(1/4) ; simplifying:

= (54y^2 * 48y^4)^(1/4) ; rule: a^p * b^p = (ab)^p

= (2592y^6)^(1/4) ; rule: a^p * a^q = a^(p+q)

I'll stop here; are you ok with this so far?
Can you carry on and simplify further?

As a help (so you know if you're correct at any step during simplification),
substitute any value for y in original expression and in simplified expression;
make it y=2; then, using my simplification above:

original: (54y^2)^(1/4) * (48y^4)^(1/4)
= (54*4)^(1/4) * (48*16)^(1/4) = 20.1815....

my simplification: (2592y^6)^(1/4)
= (2592*64)^(1/4) = 20.1815....

 

[synapsis]

thx for the replies- i understand the principle 4th root of n : n^(1/4)... the answer the book gives is 6y to the forth root of 2y^2- i don't see how to get there from what you have shown me.