Final answer:
The radical expressions √2 and √12 cannot be combined through addition or subtraction to become one radical expression because they have different radicands after simplification.
Step-by-step explanation:
Combining Square Roots
Whether the radical expressions √2 and √12 can be combined to become one radical expression through addition or subtraction is the question at hand. The answer is false.
Combining radical expressions through addition or subtraction is only possible when the expressions have the same radicand (the number under the radical).
You can simplify √12 to 2√3, so √2 and 2√3 have different radicands and cannot be directly added or subtracted. However, you can multiply or divide radicals with different radicands.