Chapter 9: Problem 67
Simplify each expression. $$-3 \sqrt{6}-\frac{5 \sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{3}}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The simplified expression is
\(-\frac{14 \sqrt{6}}{3}\).
Step by step solution
01
Simplify the Second Term
To simplify the term \(-\frac{5 \sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{3}}\), multiply the numerator and the denominator by \(\sqrt{3}\). This helps us remove the square root from the denominator:\[-\frac{5 \sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{3}} \times \frac{\sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{3}} = -\frac{5 \sqrt{2 \cdot 3}}{\sqrt{3 \cdot 3}} = -\frac{5 \sqrt{6}}{3}\]
02
Combine Like Terms
Now we have the expression:\(-3 \sqrt{6} - \frac{5 \sqrt{6}}{3}\).Since both terms contain \(\sqrt{6}\), they can be combined. First, convert \( -3 \sqrt{6}\) to a fraction with a denominator of 3:\[-3 \sqrt{6} = -\frac{9 \sqrt{6}}{3}\]
03
Simplify the Combined Expression
Combine the two fractions:\[-\frac{9 \sqrt{6}}{3} - \frac{5 \sqrt{6}}{3} = \frac{-9 \sqrt{6} - 5 \sqrt{6}}{3} = \frac{-14 \sqrt{6}}{3}\]
04
Write the Final Answer
The simplified expression is \[-\frac{14 \sqrt{6}}{3}\].
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Square Roots
Square roots are fundamental in mathematics, especially when simplifying expressions. A square root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. Square roots are often represented by the radical symbol \( \sqrt{} \). For example, the square root of 16 is 4, since \( 4 \times 4 = 16 \).
- The expression \( \sqrt{6} \) signifies a number which, when squared, results in 6.
- Similarly, \( \sqrt{2} \) and \( \sqrt{3} \) represent the square roots of 2 and 3, respectively.
Combining Like Terms
Combining like terms is a crucial step in simplifying algebraic expressions. This involves grouping together terms that have the same variables raised to the same power. For instance, in expressions like \( -3 \sqrt{6} - \frac{5 \sqrt{6}}{3} \), both terms contain \( \sqrt{6} \), enabling them to be combined.
- The first term is \( -3 \sqrt{6} \), which can be rewritten with a common denominator for simplicity, such as \( -\frac{9 \sqrt{6}}{3} \).
- Adding or subtracting like terms essentially combines their coefficients. In this example, the coefficients \(-9\) and \(-5\) of \( \sqrt{6} \) are added to get \(-14\).
Rationalizing Denominators
Rationalizing the denominator is a technique used to eliminate square roots in the denominator of a fraction. This procedure makes the expression easier to work with and is often required to reach the simplest form. The method involves multiplying the numerator and the denominator by a suitable radical.
- In the original expression \( -\frac{5 \sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{3}} \), rationalizing involves multiplying both the numerator and denominator by \( \sqrt{3} \), giving us \( -\frac{5 \sqrt{6}}{3} \).
- The rule here is to multiply by a form of one, like \( \frac{\sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{3}} \), which keeps the value of the expression unchanged.