How do you rationalize the denominator and simplify #8/sqrt2#?
1 Answer
Aug 12, 2016
Explanation:
#color(blue)"Rationalising"# the denominator means 'removing' the radical from the denominator and leaving a rational value in it's place.To do this we make use of the following fact.
#color(red)(|bar(ul(color(white)(a/a)color(black)(sqrtaxxsqrta=a)color(white)(a/a)|)))#
#rArrsqrt2xxsqrt2=2" a rational number"# Since this is a fraction we must also multiply the numerator by
#sqrt2#
#rArr8/sqrt2=8/sqrt2 xx(sqrt2)/(sqrt2)#
#=(8sqrt2)/2=(cancel(8)^4 sqrt2)/cancel(2)^1=4sqrt2" in simplest form"#