The conjugate of the expression 12 − 5 is 12 + 5 . This is found by identifying the components of the expression and changing the sign between them. Therefore, the final answer is 12 + 5 .
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The conjugate of a number in the form a − b is a + b .
Identify a = 12 and b = 5 in the expression 12 − 5 .
Determine the conjugate by changing the sign between the terms.
The conjugate of 12 − 5 is 12 + 5 .
Explanation
Identifying the Conjugate Form The conjugate of a number in the form a − b is a + b . In this case, we have 12 − 5 , so a = 12 and b = 5 .
Determining the Conjugate Therefore, the conjugate of 12 − 5 is 12 + 5 .
Examples
Conjugates are useful in simplifying expressions, especially when dealing with complex numbers or radicals in the denominator of a fraction. For example, if you have a fraction like 12 − 5 1 , you can multiply both the numerator and denominator by the conjugate 12 + 5 to rationalize the denominator, resulting in ( 12 − 5 ) ( 12 + 5 ) 12 + 5 = 144 − 5 12 + 5 = 139 12 + 5 . This technique is commonly used in algebra and calculus to simplify expressions and solve equations.