Rewrite expressions with radicals and rational exponents using exponent properties.
Rationalize the denominator when the denominator has a single square root factor
Problem
Rationalize the denominator of \(1/\sqrt{5}\) by multiplying numerator and denominator by \(\sqrt{5}\), then simplify.
Big Picture
What this problem is really about
Rationalizing a single radical denominator means multiplying by a carefully chosen form of one. We’ll use the same radical in numerator and denominator, confirm the value is preserved, simplify the denominator’s square-root product to an integer, and state the equivalent fraction.
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