What is a like radical?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the definition or explanation of a 'like radical', which refers to radicals that have the same index and radicand. This is a concept in mathematics, typically related to simplifying and combining radical expressions.
Answer
Like radicals have the same indices and radicands.
Like radicals are radical expressions that have the same indices and radicands.
Answer for screen readers
Like radicals are radical expressions that have the same indices and radicands.
More Information
Like radicals allow for simplification and combination in algebraic expressions, much like combining like terms with the same variable and exponent in polynomial expressions.
Tips
A common mistake is to consider only the radicand (the number inside the radical) without checking if the radical has the same index (degree of the root). Both must be the same for radicals to be considered like radicals.
Sources
- What are like radicals? - homework.study.com
- Intermediate Algebra Tutorial 40 - West Texas A&M University - wtamu.edu
- 5.3: Adding and Subtracting Radical Expressions - math.libretexts.org