Question

How do you rationalize this denominator?

Answer 1

what is the fraction, or at least the denominator?

Answer 2

Yea

Answer 3

The goal of rationalizing is to get rid of "stuff" under a radical sign like that when it's in the denominator.

The way is to do it is to multiply the top and bottom by the same thing (so you don't change the value of the fraction), but to choose that thing to eliminate the radical on the bottom.

So, here, if you multiply by \[\frac{ \sqrt{3} }{ \sqrt{3} }\] then on the bottom, it becomes just 3.

Answer 4

\[\frac{ \sqrt{3} }{ \sqrt{3} } \times \frac{ 5 - \sqrt{2} }{ \sqrt{3} } = \frac{ 5\sqrt{3} - \sqrt{2}\sqrt{3}}{ 3 }\]

Answer 5

Then you need to simplify the top part more...

Answer 6

Ah ok. Thanks