What is a surd?
What is a surd?
A surd is an irrational root left in exact form, such as 2\sqrt{2}2 or 5\sqrt{5}5. A square root like 36\sqrt{36}36 is not a surd because it simplifies exactly to 666.
Step-by-step lessons on CCEA GCSE Maths Surds. Each one builds up to exam-style questions. Build fluency with number, ratio and algebra first, since geometry, probability and statistics topics rely on them, and leave extra time nearer the exam for Higher-tier problem-solving and multi-step reasoning questions.