Simplify 7sqrt(3) - sqrt(12) | MathCelebrity Forum

Simplify 7sqrt(3) - sqrt(12)

math_celebrity

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7sqrt(3) is broken down.

sqrt(12) is not broken down. Let's find all the factors of 12 and see if we stumble on a perfect square:
  • 1 * 12
  • 2 * 6
  • 3 * 4
4 is a perfect square, since sqrt(4) = 2.
So sqrt(12) = sqrt(3 * 4)

We pull the sqrt(4) = 2 outside the radical and rewrite our problem as:
7sqrt(3) - 2sqrt(3)

These are like terms, so we have:
(7 - 2)sqrt(3)
5sqrt(3)

 
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