Subtract. Write your answer in simplest form.
4 radical 2 minus 5 radical 2
To subtract expressions with like radicals, you simply subtract the coefficients (the numbers in front of the radical sign) and keep the radical part the same.
Given the expression:
4√2 - 5√2
You would subtract the coefficients (4 and 5) and keep the radical (√2) unchanged.
Therefore:
4√2 - 5√2 = (4 - 5)√2 = -1√2
This can be simplified to:
-√2
So the simplest form of the expression is:
-√2