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Solving Radical Equations

Author: Kendra Wheeler

Key Terms and Concepts

Radical Equation: It is an equation that contains a radical expression with a variable in the radicand.

Solve a Radical Equation: You need to isolate the radical on one side and then square both sides of the equation.

Squaring Both Sides of an Equation: If two equations are equal, than their squares are equal.

     if a = b, then a2 = b2      

     Example: if square root of x = 3 than the (square root of x) 2 = 32

Extraneous Solutions: Squaring both sides of the equation a=b can result in a solution of a2 = b2 that is not a solution of the original equation. Such a solution is called extraneous solution.

Remember when you square both sides of an equation, check each solution in the original equation to be sure there are no extraneous solutions.

 

Examples of Solving Radical Equations

In this video there are three examples demonstrated on how to solve radical equations.

Example of a Extraneous Solution