Help with Simple Math Problems

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Maxwell
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around solving two math problems involving simplification of square roots and cube roots. Participants are seeking assistance with the steps required to simplify these expressions, which include variables and coefficients.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses frustration over not remembering how to simplify the given math problems, indicating a need for help.
  • Another participant begins to simplify the first problem by breaking down the terms into powers of 2 and extracting squares, suggesting a methodical approach to the simplification.
  • A third participant acknowledges the help but still struggles to grasp the solution, indicating ongoing uncertainty.
  • A participant provides a detailed breakdown of the second problem, identifying factors and simplifying each term step by step, while also noting a common factor in the final expression.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the solutions to the problems, as one participant continues to struggle with the simplifications despite receiving guidance. Multiple approaches to the problems are presented, but no definitive resolution is reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of understanding and confidence in their ability to simplify the expressions, highlighting potential gaps in foundational knowledge or recall of mathematical techniques.

Maxwell
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Tonight my friend came to me with some simple math problems. Most of them were easy, but some of them I could not do, or could not remember how to do. It is very frustrating because I should know how to do this since I did it years ago.

I was wondering if you guys could help. The two problems I can't get are:

1) [tex]xy{\sqrt{125x^3y^5}} - {\sqrt{12x^5y^7}} + x^2y^3{\sqrt{{80xy}}[/tex]

2) [tex]{\sqrt[3]{16x^4y^3}} - 5x{\sqrt[3]{54xy^3}}} + 20y{\sqrt[3]{2x^4}}[/tex]

It seems so easy, jjust adding and subtracting, but I don't remember how to do this type of stuff. :frown:

Thanks in advance guys.
 
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[tex]xy{\sqrt{125x^3y^5}} - {\sqrt{12x^5y^7}} + x^2y^3{\sqrt{{80xy}}[/tex]

Let's do the first term.

[tex]xy{\sqrt{125x^3y^5}}[/tex]

Any powers of 2 can be brought out, so let's write it in terms of powers of 2:

[tex]xy\sqrt{(5^2)5(x^2)x(y^2)^2y}[/tex]

Bring out the squares

[tex]xy(5xy^2)\sqrt{5xy}[/tex]

Simplify

[tex]5x^2y^3\sqrt{5xy}[/tex]

Rinse and repeat for the remaining terms.

And for the cube root problem, powers of 3 can come out. So group them into powers of 3.

cookiemonster
 
Thank you Cookiemonster.

I still can't get it though. :redface:
 
[tex]{\sqrt[3]{16x^4y^3}} - 5x{\sqrt[3]{54xy^3}}} + 20y{\sqrt[3]{2x^4}}[/tex]

16= 8*2 and 8= 23
x4= x*x3

so the first term is [itex]2xy\sqrt[3]{2x}[/itex]

54= 2*27= 2*33
so the second term is [itex]5x(3y)\sqrt[3]{2x}[/itex]

In the third term x4= x*x3
so the third term is [itex]20y(x)\sqrt[3]{2x}[/itex]

That is: [itex]2xy\sqrt[3]{2x}+5x(3y)\sqrt[3]{2x}+20y(x)\sqrt[3]{2x}[/itex]

Notice the [itex]\sqrt[3]{2x}[/itex] in each term?

This is the same as [itex](2xy+ 15xy+ 20xy)\sqrt[3]{2x}[/itex]
 

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