Rationalise the denominator of 1/(4 + sqrt(3))

This denominator is irrational because it contains a surd. To rationalise the denominator we multiply the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator. In this case, the conjugate of the denominator is 4-sqrt(3)Therefore we get 1/(4 + sqrt(3)) * (4 - sqrt(3))/(4 - sqrt(3)). This simplifies to: (4 - sqrt(3))/(16 + 4sqrt(3) - 4sqrt(3) -3) and therefore: (4 - sqrt(3))/13

GM
Answered by Giles M. Maths tutor

6901 Views

See similar Maths GCSE tutors

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Prove that the square of an odd number is always 1 more than a multiple of 4.


√5( √8 +√18) can be written in the form a√10 where a is an integer.


What is the expansion of (x + 4)(x - 5) ?


Whats the inverse of y = 2x+1/x-1 ?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning