Getting the radical by itself on one side of the equation. Solving Radical Equations Radical Equations: You can often solve a radical equation by: 1. 3. 2. 4. Equations that have variables in the radicand. Getting the radical by itself on one side of the equation. Then you square both sides. Remember that the expression under a radical must be non-negative. Always check your answer.
Square both sides of the equation. Then solve. Solving Radical Equations cont. If there are radicals on both sides: 5. 7. 6. 8. Square both sides of the equation. Then solve. Always check your answer.
A solution that does not satisfy the original equation. Extraneous and No Solutions When you solve an equation by squaring each side, you create a new equation. This new equation may have solutions that do not solve the original equation. Always check your answers to see if they satisfy the original equation. An Extraneous Solution is: It is possible that the only solution you get after squaring both sides of an equation is extraneous. In that case, the original equation has ______________________. 1. 2. A solution that does not satisfy the original equation. OR . . . When you “plug it in,” it doesn’t work no solution