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Ch. R - Review of Basic Concepts
Lial - College Algebra 13th Edition
Lial13th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136881063Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 1, Problem 89

Simplify each radical. Assume all variables represent positive real numbers. 1136\(\sqrt\)[6]{11^3}

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1
Identify the expression to simplify: the sixth root of 11 cubed, written as \(\sqrt[6]{11^{3}}\).
Recall the property of radicals that allows rewriting the root as a fractional exponent: \(\sqrt[n]{a^{m}} = a^{\frac{m}{n}}\). Apply this to get \(11^{\frac{3}{6}}\).
Simplify the fractional exponent \(\frac{3}{6}\) by dividing numerator and denominator by their greatest common divisor, which is 3, resulting in \(\frac{1}{2}\).
Rewrite the expression with the simplified exponent: \(11^{\frac{1}{2}}\).
Recognize that \(11^{\frac{1}{2}}\) is equivalent to the square root of 11, or \(\sqrt{11}\), which is the simplified form of the original radical.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Radical Expressions and Roots

A radical expression involves roots such as square roots, cube roots, or nth roots. The nth root of a number is a value that, when raised to the nth power, gives the original number. Understanding how to interpret and manipulate these roots is essential for simplifying radical expressions.
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Properties of Exponents

Exponents represent repeated multiplication, and their properties allow us to rewrite and simplify expressions. For radicals, the nth root can be expressed as a fractional exponent (e.g., the sixth root as an exponent of 1/6), which helps in simplifying powers inside radicals by using exponent rules.
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Rational Exponents

Simplifying Radicals Using Prime Factorization and Exponent Rules

Simplifying radicals often involves expressing the radicand as a product of prime factors or powers, then applying exponent rules to extract powers that match the root's index. For example, rewriting 11³ under a sixth root involves converting to fractional exponents and simplifying accordingly.
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