Algebra II Recipe: Solving Radical and Rational Exponent Equations

Steps to Solve an Exponent Equation

1. Isolate the radical or exponent term.
   • If there are two radical terms, set them equal to each other.
2. To eliminate the radical: square, cube, 4^th power etc. both sides of the equation.
3. To eliminate the exponent: raise both sides of the equation to the reciprocal of the exponent.
4. Solve for the remaining variable using inverse operations.
   • If an x² and x terms remain, collect all terms on the x² side and solve the quadratic equation by one of the previous methods:
     1. Quadratic Formula
     2. Factoring
     3. Completing the Square
5. Check your solutions by plugging them into the original equation OR where the radical or exponent term is isolated.

Practice Problems