An effective method to teach students to deal with absolute value in simplifying square roots
I always found one aspect of simplifying square root expressions very difficult to teach or explain. When do you need an absolute value in your response and when do you not? Here's an example:
Ex. 1 Simplify the square root of
Why is the absolute value necessary? Its because the simplified expression is not equivalent to the beginning expression for a<0, if the absolute value sign was not around a3. Download the activity below to follow a graphical explanation and design a lesson and presentation using this concept.
