MYP 4 Mathematics · Numerical and Abstract Reasoning

Rationalizing the Denominator

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  1. Question 1

    What is the result of rationalizing ?
    No clue? Show me the answer
    Correct answerCorrect!Incorrect
    A

    Step-by-step walkthrough

    Choose a solution method

    Method #1Direct Approach

    Step 1: Identify the radical in the denominator

    The denominator is , so we multiply numerator and denominator by .

    Step 2: Multiply top and bottom

    Step 3: Simplify the coefficient

    Step 4: State the answer

    The rationalized form is .

    Method #2Process of Elimination

    Step 1: Eliminate $6\sqrt{3}$

    B

    would only be correct if we multiplied by without dividing — this changes the value of the fraction, so it is wrong.

    Step 2: Eliminate $\dfrac{6\sqrt{3}}{9}$

    C

    would arise from squaring 3 in the denominator (getting 9 instead of 3), which is incorrect.

    Step 3: Eliminate $3\sqrt{2}$

    D

    contains a different radical () which cannot arise from this expression.

    Step 4: Select the correct answer

    The only correctly rationalized and simplified form is .

  2. Question 2

    Which expression is equivalent to ?
    No clue? Show me the answer
    Correct answerCorrect!Incorrect
    B

    Step-by-step walkthrough

    Choose a solution method

    Method #1Direct Approach

    Step 1: Multiply by $\dfrac{\sqrt{7}}{\sqrt{7}}$

    Step 2: Simplify the coefficient

    Step 3: State the answer

    The simplified rationalized form is .

    Method #2Process of Elimination

    Step 1: Eliminate $35\sqrt{7}$

    D

    This forgets to divide by 7 after multiplying — it changes the value of the expression.

    Step 2: Eliminate $\dfrac{35\sqrt{7}}{49}$

    C

    This incorrectly uses 49 (which is ) in the denominator instead of 7. , not 49.

    Step 3: Eliminate $7\sqrt{5}$

    A

    This contains , which does not appear in the original expression at all.

    Step 4: Select the correct answer

    is the correctly rationalized and simplified form.

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