Mathematics
OpenStudy (anonymous):

how do you simplify sqaure roots (radicals)?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

what kind of square roots are you specifically talking about? is it surds or what?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

i dont even know what that is, its like a regular one, you have to find a perfect square first to find it.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

can you pls give an example

OpenStudy (anonymous):

(radical sign)169, i know the answer is 13 but i have to simplfiy the square root

OpenStudy (anonymous):

doesn't the square root have this thing in it

OpenStudy (anonymous):

I think we should do this on chat, its kinda hard this way...

OpenStudy (anonymous):

cheergirl, what thing? lol

OpenStudy (anonymous):

$\sqrt{169}$ thats what it looks like

OpenStudy (anonymous):

OpenStudy (anonymous):

yes, i know but i have to simplifiy it

OpenStudy (anonymous):

I really think 13 cannot be simplified..

OpenStudy (anonymous):

the square root had to be simplified

OpenStudy (anonymous):

This is what my book says: Simplifiy each square root. $\sqrt{169}$

OpenStudy (anonymous):

simplifying just makes sense when you have expression with variables, e.g sqrt( cos^2(x)+sin^2(x)+1) , otherwise you jusr try to evaluate the square root of the numer, like in thes case, if the answer is not that easy, you could try thongs like this: sqrt(20) = sqrt(5*4) = 2*sqrt(5)

OpenStudy (anonymous):

here lets try this one, i guess that one is hard.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

Simplifiy each square root: $\sqrt{121}$

OpenStudy (anonymous):

11

OpenStudy (anonymous):

how did you do that pentop?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

what i mean is that simplifying means dealing with variables not with numbers, however, $\sqrt{121}=11$

OpenStudy (anonymous):

well, 11e2=121

OpenStudy (anonymous):

sorry, I meant 11squared =121..

OpenStudy (anonymous):

yeah there are some roots you ought to memorize 'cause they are too common

OpenStudy (anonymous):

i know that it is 11 but i have to simplifiy it, im so confused. i know how to solve them, i cant simplifiy with perfect squares though

OpenStudy (anonymous):

simplifying the square root simply means doing the operation of taking the square or making sure that there are no perfect squares under the radical sign. so with your problem, 13 is the simplification of root 169.

OpenStudy (anonymous):

exactly...

OpenStudy (anonymous):

but how can i show the work for that?

OpenStudy (anonymous):

nevermind im not gonna do my homework lol

OpenStudy (anonymous):

The only way I can think of to show it is to factor what is under the radical into 11^2 and then the square root of something squared is just that, in this case 11

OpenStudy (anonymous):

$\sqrt{121}$ = $\sqrt{11 x 11}$ = 11