Question

Need help with a small simple simplification.

Answer 1

\[(\sqrt{3}+1)/(1-\sqrt{3})\]

Answer 2

How do you simplify this to get \[-2-\sqrt{3}\]?

Answer 3

HI!!

Answer 4

Hello

Answer 5

do you know how to distribute?
see this and do the same
\[(a+b)(a-b)=a^2-ab+ba-b^2=a^2-\cancel{ab}+\cancel{ab}-b^2=a^2-b^2\]

Answer 6

i guess there is no way to get around that math teacher word "simplification"

what they really mean is "rationalize the denominator" but i guess that is not in their vocabulary

Answer 7

you have to multiply top and bottom by the conjugate of the bottom

Answer 8

oh hold on i miss read that lol

Answer 9

\[\frac{\sqrt3+1}{\sqrt3-1}\times \frac{\sqrt3+1}{\sqrt3+1}\] is the start

Answer 10

Thanks I got it now. Just need a quick refresher. Thanks all! :)

Answer 11

yes that is rationalizing the bottom just like @misty1212 said

Answer 12

\[\color\magenta\heartsuit\]

Answer 13

i didn't pay attention to that slash there
but at any rate you still needed to you what i wrote :)