6.5 SOLVING SQUARE ROOT EQUATIONS
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE
GOALS Isolate the radical. Square both sides of an equation. Foil properly.
EXAMPLE 1. Isolate the radical. Square both sides. Add 3 to both sides. Divide each side by 2.
EXAMPLE 2. Isolate the radical. Square both sides. *(FOIL the right-hand side). Combine like terms. Factor. Solve.
EXAMPLE 2 (NOT DONE YET!) We have to check for extraneous solutions.
EXAMPLE 3. Choose one of the radicals to isolate. Square both sides. STOP. How do you FOIL something like that???
F O I L Back to the problem… EXAMPLE 3 (CONT.)
Combine like terms while isolating the radical. (Where we left off). Divide both sides by 4. Square both sides.
EXAMPLE 3 (CONT.) Combine like terms. Factor. Solve.
EXAMPLE 3 (CONT). is the only extraneous solution to this problem.
YOU TRY!
ANSWERS
GROUPS OF 4 OR 5! Your group will need… 1 radical equation worksheet PER PERSON 1 crumbled-up piece of paper
WE’LL BE PLAYING…
HOW TO PLAY… Every person in your group gets a worksheet. As the music plays, your group will be passing around the crumbled-up piece of paper. When the music stops, the person holding the piece of paper must walk the group through a problem (everyone does it together). The object is to not get stuck holding the paper! Go in sequential order (e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, …).