help

[boreal lotus]

I'm confused on this question, how do I do it?

[soft tulip]

did you simplify the top?

by distributing?

[boreal lotus]

This one's got me confused could u explain how to do it?

[soft tulip]

so we want to distribute the top first

the top is in the form

(a+b)(a-b)

which results

in a^2 - ab + ab - b^2

or

a^2 - b^2 after cancelling

so we can rewrite the top as

4^2 - 2(sqrt3)^2

[boreal lotus]

What is sqrt3

[soft tulip]

idk what you call it

but surd?

[boreal lotus]

Ohhh

The bracket thing

Yes I call it a surd

Got that down now what do I do next?

[soft tulip]

ok

simplifying the top

we have 16 - 12

= 4

now we have 4 / surd(11)

[boreal lotus]

Hold on

[boreal lotus]

Howd u get that from the top?

[soft tulip]

well expanding

[boreal lotus]

I got one more question what ages/year group is that question aimed for?

[soft tulip]

we have 4 * 4 - 4 * 2(surd3) + 4 * 2(surd3) - 2(surd)3 * 2(surd)3

uh

i would say regularly around 13-14

or grades 7-9

something like that

[boreal lotus]

Ok

Thanks for the help btw

[soft tulip]

so we have this

and the two middle terms are opposites of each other

so they cancel

[boreal lotus]

Ye I see that

[soft tulip]

leaving the 4^2 - 2(surd3)^2

[boreal lotus]

Wait is the brackets mean we times them together?

Or what we doing adding them

[soft tulip]

2(surd3) = 2 * surd3

[boreal lotus]

Alr thanks

Btw what do I search up to get more question on this?

[soft tulip]

something about simplifying radicals with a denominator

are you good now?