Problem

Simplify square root of 196/( square root of 2)

The problem requires you to simplify the mathematical expression which consists of the square root of 196 divided by the square root of 2. The aim is to rationalize the denominator and express the result in the simplest radical form or as a whole number, if possible.

$\sqrt{\frac{196}{\sqrt{2}}}$

Answer

Expert–verified

Solution:

Step 1:

Rationalize the denominator by multiplying the expression $\frac{\sqrt{196}}{\sqrt{2}}$ by $\frac{\sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{2}}$ to get $\sqrt{\frac{196}{\sqrt{2}} \cdot \frac{\sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{2}}}$.

Step 2:

Simplify the expression within the square root.

Step 2.1:

Multiply the numerators and denominators to get $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{\sqrt{2} \cdot \sqrt{2}}}$.

Step 2.2:

Recognize that $\sqrt{2}$ raised to the first power is $\sqrt{2}$, so we have $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{(\sqrt{2})^1 \cdot \sqrt{2}}}$.

Step 2.3:

Again, acknowledge that $\sqrt{2}$ raised to the first power is $\sqrt{2}$, resulting in $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{(\sqrt{2})^1 \cdot (\sqrt{2})^1}}$.

Step 2.4:

Apply the exponent rule $a^m \cdot a^n = a^{m+n}$ to get $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{(\sqrt{2})^{1+1}}}$.

Step 2.5:

Add the exponents to simplify to $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{(\sqrt{2})^2}}$.

Step 2.6:

Convert $(\sqrt{2})^2$ to $2$.

Step 2.6.1:

Express $\sqrt{2}$ as $2^{\frac{1}{2}}$ to get $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{(2^{\frac{1}{2}})^2}}$.

Step 2.6.2:

Apply the power rule $(a^m)^n = a^{mn}$ to obtain $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{2^{\frac{1}{2} \cdot 2}}}$.

Step 2.6.3:

Multiply the exponents to simplify to $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{2^{\frac{2}{2}}}}$.

Step 2.6.4:

Reduce the fraction to get $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{2^1}}$.

Step 2.6.5:

Evaluate the exponent to finalize the simplification to $\sqrt{\frac{196 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{2}}$.

Step 3:

Reduce the fraction by eliminating common factors.

Step 3.1:

Extract the factor of $2$ from $196 \cdot \sqrt{2}$ to get $\sqrt{\frac{2 \cdot (98 \cdot \sqrt{2})}{2}}$.

Step 3.2:

Cancel out the common factors.

Step 3.2.1:

Factor out the $2$ from the denominator to have $\sqrt{\frac{2 \cdot (98 \cdot \sqrt{2})}{2 \cdot 1}}$.

Step 3.2.2:

Eliminate the common factor of $2$ to simplify to $\sqrt{\frac{\cancel{2} \cdot (98 \cdot \sqrt{2})}{\cancel{2} \cdot 1}}$.

Step 3.2.3:

Rewrite the simplified expression as $\sqrt{\frac{98 \cdot \sqrt{2}}{1}}$.

Step 3.2.4:

Divide $98 \cdot \sqrt{2}$ by $1$ to get $\sqrt{98 \cdot \sqrt{2}}$.

Step 4:

Express $98 \cdot \sqrt{2}$ in terms of its prime factors.

Step 4.1:

Factor $49$ from $98$ to write $\sqrt{49 \cdot 2 \cdot \sqrt{2}}$.

Step 4.2:

Rewrite $49$ as $7^2$ to get $\sqrt{7^2 \cdot 2 \cdot \sqrt{2}}$.

Step 4.3:

Enclose the terms under the radical as $\sqrt{7^2 \cdot (2 \cdot \sqrt{2})}$.

Step 5:

Extract terms from under the square root where possible to get $7 \cdot \sqrt{2 \cdot \sqrt{2}}$.

Step 6:

Present the result in both exact and decimal forms.

Exact Form: $7 \cdot \sqrt{2 \cdot \sqrt{2}}$ Decimal Form: $11.77254981\ldots$

Knowledge Notes:

  1. Rationalizing the Denominator: This process involves multiplying the numerator and denominator by a conjugate or a suitable term to eliminate square roots or other irrational numbers from the denominator.

  2. Simplifying Radicals: When simplifying expressions involving radicals, we often combine like terms and reduce fractions to their simplest form.

  3. Exponent Rules: The power rule states that $a^m \cdot a^n = a^{m+n}$ and $(a^m)^n = a^{mn}$. These rules are used to simplify expressions with exponents.

  4. Square Roots: The square root of a number $x$, denoted as $\sqrt{x}$, is a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives $x$. The square root of a perfect square is an integer.

  5. Prime Factorization: Breaking down a number into its prime factors can sometimes simplify the process of taking square roots, as squares of prime factors can be easily extracted from under the radical.

  6. Algebraic Manipulation: This involves various techniques such as factoring, expanding, and canceling common factors to simplify expressions.

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