When working with the square root of a number, when would you have only a positive answer and when would you have both a positive and negative answer?
You can't have a negative when measuring distances right? Is that the answer?

Question

When working with the square root of a number, when would you have only a positive answer and when would you have both a positive and negative answer?
You can't have a negative when measuring distances right? Is that the answer?

anonymous · Answer

you would have both a positive and negative when a square root must be taken i.e. x^2=4
if the square root is "part of the formula" then you only have the positive root i.e. distance = sqrt(x^2+y^2)