How to Add Radicals

Mahalo math expert Julie Clark shows you how to add radicals with the same root.

How to Add Radicals with the Same Root
---------------------------------------------------------------------

You can't add two radicals together unless they have the exact same number inside the root. In this example, since the numbers inside the roots are the same, simply add the outside numbers together and keep the root the same.

How to Add Radicals with Different Roots
---------------------------------------------------------------------

In order to add two radicals together, they need to have the same number inside the root. First, you must simplify the radical. See Mahalo's page on
How to Simplify Radicals for detailed instructions.
Simplify the radical. Start by breaking the larger root down into its smaller factors. Start with twos. Twenty divided by two equals ten.

Next, break down the ten into smaller factors. Ten divided by two equals five. After that, since you can't break it down any further, the two becomes the whole number and the five becomes the root.

Read more by visiting our page at:
mahalo.com/how-to-add-radicals/