Question

Explain how you know if a radical expression is in its simplest form.

Answer 1

when it can be simplified no further .

Answer 2

prime numbers are a good sign

Answer 3

for example

\[5\sqrt{17}\] clearly cannot be simplified further

Answer 4

but some thing like
\[\sqrt{1600}\]
can be simplified,

Answer 5

\[=\sqrt{16\times100} \]\[=\sqrt{4^2}\times\sqrt{10^2}\]\[=4\times10\\=40\]

Answer 6

Do you have an example?