How do I rationalise the denominator of √2+1]/√2-1?

We must choose something to multiply the numerator and denominator of the fraction by the same thing, and the best thing to choose is the difference of two squares (since (x^2-y)(x^2+y)=x^2-y^2 ).
So we do (√2+1)(√2+1)/(√2-1)(√2+1). Since the (√2)^2=2, the numerator becomes 2+2√2+1, and the bottom becomes 2-1=1 (the difference of two squares). Simplifying this out becomes 2√2+3/1, which is 2√2+3

HJ

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Find the values of x where x^(2) + 4x + 4 = 0


What actually IS 'differentiation'?


Solve algebraically the simultaneous equations x2 +y2 =25 and y – 3x = 13


How do you solve the simultaneous equations x^2+y=1 and -x+y=-1