Notes for solving radical equations.

1. A radical equation is an equation that has a variable in a radicand ﴾or a
variable with a fractional exponent﴿. If the radical has index 2, the equation is a
square root equation. In this lesson, you may assume that all radicals have
real­number values.
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2. The basic concept is to: 1) Isolate the Radical
2) Square Each Side
3) Solve for x
4) Check solution(s) to avoid extraneous roots!
An extraneous root is a solution of an equation derived from an original
equation but it is not a solution of the original equation.
Check is mandatory! Not every solution will work.
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