Radical expressions are mathematical expressions that contain a check mark-like symbol known as a radical. This symbol indicates that you will take a certain "root" of a specific value. There are certain rules that govern mathematical operations associated with expressions containing radicals. If you have a fraction that contains a radical, you can apply the quotient rule to simplify the expression. The quotient rule asserts that √x/y (with the square root covering the entire fraction) is equal to √x / √y.
Instructions
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1
Write down the radical expression. For example, you might have √a/81 (with the radical covering the entire fraction).
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2
Break the fraction into separate parts. In this case, you would rewrite the fraction as √a / √81.
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3
Extract any perfect squares. In this case, 9 times 9 equals 81, which means that 81 is a perfect square. Therefore, you would write √a / 9 as your answer.