Answer:
Learning Objective(s)
· Convert radicals to expressions with rational exponents.
· Convert expressions with rational exponents to their radical equivalent.
· Use the laws of exponents to simplify expressions with rational exponents.
· Use rational exponents to simplify radical expressions.
Introduction
- Square roots are most often written using a radical sign, like this, . But there is another way to represent the taking of a root. You can use rational exponents instead of a radical. A rational exponent is an exponent that is a fraction. For example, can be written as .
- Can’t imagine raising a number to a rational exponent? They may be hard to get used to, but rational exponents can actually help simplify some problems. Let’s explore the relationship between rational (fractional) exponents and radicals.
