Question Detail
\begin{aligned}
\text{If }x = \left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right),\text{ what is the value of }\\\left(\sqrt{x} - \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{x}}\right)?
\end{aligned}
- \begin{aligned} \sqrt{13} \end{aligned}
- \begin{aligned} \sqrt{14} \end{aligned}
- \begin{aligned} \sqrt{15} \end{aligned}
- \begin{aligned} \sqrt{16} \end{aligned}
Answer: Option B
Explanation:
\begin{align}&\left(\sqrt{x} - \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{x}}\right)^2\\\\
&= x - 2 + \dfrac{1}{x}\\\\
&= x + \dfrac{1}{x} - 2 \\\\
&= \left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right) + \dfrac{1}{\left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right)} - 2 \\\\
&= \left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right) + \dfrac{\left(8 - 3\sqrt{7}\right)}{\left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right)\left(8 - 3\sqrt{7}\right)} - 2 \\\\
&= \left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right) + \dfrac{\left(8 - 3\sqrt{7}\right)}{8^2 - \left(3\sqrt{7}\right)^2} - 2 \\\\
&= \left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right) + \dfrac{\left(8 - 3\sqrt{7}\right)}{64 - 63} - 2 \\\\
&= \left(8 + 3\sqrt{7}\right) + \dfrac{\left(8 - 3\sqrt{7}\right)}{1} - 2 \\\\
&= 8 + 3\sqrt{7} + 8 - 3\sqrt{7} - 2 \\\\
&= 14 \\\\
&\text{as }\left(\sqrt{x} - \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{x}}\right)^2 = 14\\\\
&\text{so ,}\left(\sqrt{x} - \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{x}}\right) = \sqrt{14}\end{align}