Pearson Algebra 2 Common Core, 2011
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Pearson Algebra 2 Common Core, 2011 View details
8. Graphing Radical Functions
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Exercise 67 Page 420

Rationalize the denominator.

sqrt(3xy)/y

Practice makes perfect
To rationalize the denominator, we will multiply the numerator and denominator by a factor that will make the denominator a perfect square inside the square root. We will do this using the fact that we can multiply the radicands of radicals if they have the same index. If sqrt(a) and sqrt(b) are real numbers, then sqrt(a)* sqrt(b)= sqrt(ab).Let's start by finding the exponents necessary to create perfect squares in the denominator. Our goal is to have two of each factor.
sqrt(36x^3)/sqrt(12y)
sqrt(36x^3)/sqrt(12^1y^1)
sqrt(36x^3)*sqrt(12^1y^1)/sqrt(12^1y^1)*sqrt(12^1y^1)
sqrt(36x^3*12^1y^1)/sqrt(12^1y^1*12^1y^1)
sqrt(36x^3y*12)/sqrt(12^2y^2)
Now that we have found the factors that will make the radicand of the denominator perfect squares only, we can begin to simplify the quotient. While simplifying, we should remember that all variables are positive, so sqrt(a^n) = a.
sqrt(36x^3y*12)/sqrt(12^2y^2)
sqrt(2* 2* 3* 3* x* x* x* y* 2* 2* 3)/sqrt(12^2y^2)
sqrt(2* 2* 2* 2* 3* 3* 3* x* x* x* y)/sqrt(12^2y^2)
sqrt(2^2* 2^2* 3^2* 3* x^2* x* y)/sqrt(12^2y^2)
sqrt(2^2* 2^2* 3^2* x^2* 3* x* y)/sqrt(12^2y^2)
2*2*3* xsqrt(3* x* y)/12y
12xsqrt(3xy)/12y
xsqrt(3xy)/y