CPM Homework Help : PC3 Problem 5-32

Are the following expressions equivalent? Explain how you know. Try to use at least two different methods to justify your answer.

$(x+2)^{1/2}+(x+2)^{3/2}$ and $(x+3)(x+2)^{1/2}$

Hint:

Try a few numbers. Do you get the same value for both expressions if:
$x=2$ ?
$x=7$ ?
$x=−1$ ?

Help:

Checking a few numbers does not prove that the expressions are equivalent.
Can you algebraically rewrite one expression so that it is the same as the other expression?