Combining Like Radical Terms

Before we can combine like radical terms, we sometimes need to simplify the individual radicals to obtain like terms.

Exmaple 1

Find:

First simplify The radicand, 24, has a perfect square factor, 4.
Replace with Combine the like radical terms, Simplify.

So,

Example 2

Find:

Solution

First simplify The radicand, 32, has a perfect cube factor, 8.
Replace with
Multiply
Combine the like radical terms, Also, combine the like terms -5 and -2.
Simplify.

So,