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Secondary 2 · Mathematics
Numbers · Natural numbers

Square Roots

Before you start, make sure you know: Square root (Secondary Year 1 (first cycle))
Before you start, make sure you know: Properties of exponents (Secondary Year 1 (first cycle))

Yaritza wants to put ceramic tile in her room, which is square and has an area of $16\ \text{m}^2$. How long is each wall? You need the opposite operation of squaring: the square root.

What a square root is

Change the area and see how the side of the square changes.

Zero is also a perfect square: $\sqrt{0} = 0$. Negative numbers have no real square root.

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Work out mentally the value of the following exact square roots using multiplication tables: a) $\sqrt{36}$ b) $\sqrt{64}$ c) $\sqrt{81}$ d) $\sqrt{100}$ e) $\sqrt{121}$

Work out mentally the value of the following exact square roots using multiplication tables:

  1. a) $\sqrt{36}$
  2. b) $\sqrt{64}$
  3. c) $\sqrt{81}$
  4. d) $\sqrt{100}$
  5. e) $\sqrt{121}$
Solve
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Match each power with its corresponding root in your notebook, as in the example: Example: $7^2 = 49 \rightarrow \sqrt{49} = 7$* a) $4^2 = 16$ b) $9^2 = 81$ c)…

Match each power with its corresponding root in your notebook, as in the example:

Example: $7^2 = 49 \rightarrow \sqrt{49} = 7$

  1. a) $4^2 = 16$
  2. b) $9^2 = 81$
  3. c) $12^2 = 144$
  4. d) $15^2 = 225$
Solve
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Lucía's room is square and has a total area of $16$ square meters. How long is the wall of her room?

Lucía's room is square and has a total area of $16$ square meters. How long is the wall of her room?

1 m² Area = 16 m² L = ? L = ?
Solve
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Look at the following dot pattern. Which natural number represents the total number of dots? What is its square root?

Look at the following dot pattern. Which natural number represents the total number of dots? What is its square root?

5 5
Solve

When the root is not exact

Not all numbers are perfect squares. For example, $\sqrt{2}$, $\sqrt{3}$, or $\sqrt{70}$ are neither natural numbers nor fractions: their decimal digits never end and never repeat. They are irrational numbers, and together with the rational numbers they make up the real numbers $\mathbb{R}$. With a calculator you can approximate them: $\sqrt{2} \approx 1.414$ and $\sqrt{70} \approx 8.367$.

Without a calculator, you locate the root between two consecutive perfect squares. Move the area and watch which numbers the side falls between.

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State between which two consecutive natural numbers the following square roots lie. Look at the example: Example: $\sqrt{10}$ lies between $3$ and $4$ because $3^2=9$…

State between which two consecutive natural numbers the following square roots lie. Look at the example:

Example: $\sqrt{10}$ lies between $3$ and $4$ because $3^2=9$ and $4^2=16$.

  1. a) $\sqrt{20}$
  2. b) $\sqrt{45}$
  3. c) $\sqrt{70}$
  4. d) $\sqrt{95}$
Solve
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State, without using a calculator, between which two consecutive natural numbers the following square roots lie. Reason your answer based on the nearest perfect squares:…

State, without using a calculator, between which two consecutive natural numbers the following square roots lie. Reason your answer based on the nearest perfect squares:

  1. a) $\sqrt{45}$
  1. b) $\sqrt{115}$
Solve
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Determine, without using a calculator and reasoning your answer by calculating squares of nearby numbers, between which two consecutive decimal numbers with one decimal…

Determine, without using a calculator and reasoning your answer by calculating squares of nearby numbers, between which two consecutive decimal numbers with one decimal place (for example, $4.4$ and $4.5$) the square root of $75$ lies.

(Example: $\sqrt{20}$ is between $4.4$ and $4.5$ because $4.4^2 = 19.36$ and $4.5^2 = 20.25$).

Solve

Integer root and remainder

The integer root of $N$ is the greatest natural number whose square does not exceed $N$. The remainder is what is left over: $N - n^2$.

Diagram of the calculation of the integer root and remainder of 70 by bounding it between the perfect squares 64 and 81 64 8² ≤ 70 < 81 9² 8 < √70 < 9 integer root 8, remainder 70 − 64 = 6
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Marcos wants to arrange his collection of $40$ action figures in a square display case. a) What is the largest perfect square he can form with his figures? b) How many…

Marcos wants to arrange his collection of $40$ action figures in a square display case.

  1. a) What is the largest perfect square he can form with his figures?
  2. b) How many figures will be left over if he forms that square?
  3. c) How many more figures would he need to form the next largest square?
Solve
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It is known that a natural number has an integer square root equal to $15$ and its remainder is as large as possible. What number are we talking about? (Hint: The…

It is known that a natural number has an integer square root equal to $15$ and its remainder is as large as possible. What number are we talking about?

(Hint: The remainder of a square root cannot be equal to or greater than $2 \times \text{raíz} + 1$).

15² 15 15 +1 15 15 1 short of 16² N = 15 Resto = Rₘₐₓ N = 15² + Rₘₐₓ Rₘₐₓ = 2·15 = 30
Solve
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Knowing that a natural number $N$ has an integer square root $a = 45$, calculate the largest value that this number $N$ can take and what its remainder is in that case.…

Knowing that a natural number $N$ has an integer square root $a = 45$, calculate the largest value that this number $N$ can take and what its remainder is in that case. Take into account the property that relates the remainder to the integer root so that the approximation is maximal. In the figure (not exactly to scale in the gaps) you have the square of side $a$ and the next square, of side $a+1$.

Square of side a = 45 inside the next square, of side a + 1 a = 45 a² Side a Side a + 1 N is between a² and (a + 1)² without reaching (a + 1)²
Solve

Properties of roots

Diagram of the root of a product: √(9 · 100) is split into √9 · √100 and gives 30 √(9 · 100) = √9 · √100 = 3 · 10 = 30
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Apply the root of a product rule to calculate the following square roots more easily, as shown in the example: Example:…

Apply the root of a product rule to calculate the following square roots more easily, as shown in the example:

Example: $\sqrt{4 \times 25} = \sqrt{4} \times \sqrt{25} = 2 \times 5 = 10$

  1. a) $\sqrt{9 \times 100}$
  2. b) $\sqrt{16 \times 25}$
  3. c) $\sqrt{4 \times 81}$
Solve
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Use the properties of roots to solve in the simplest possible way: a) $\sqrt{9 \times 16 \times 25}$ b) $\sqrt{3600 : 4}$ c) $\sqrt{100 \times 49}$

Use the properties of roots to solve in the simplest possible way:

  1. a) $\sqrt{9 \times 16 \times 25}$
  1. b) $\sqrt{3600 : 4}$
  1. c) $\sqrt{100 \times 49}$
Solve
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Mei is designing a collage using square photos with a side length of $10\text{ cm}$. She wants to arrange them on a square piece of card with an area of…

Mei is designing a collage using square photos with a side length of $10\text{ cm}$. She wants to arrange them on a square piece of card with an area of $2500\text{ cm}^2$, leaving no gaps between them.

  1. What is the side length of the card?

  2. How many of Mei's photos fit on the card in total?

Solve

Combined operations with roots

The square root is calculated at the same level as exponents in the order of operations.

Diagram of the order of operations highlighting that exponents and roots are at the same priority level 1. Parentheses 2. Exponents and roots 3. Multiply and divide 4. Add and subtract
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Solve the following combined operations, respecting the order of operations: a) $10 + \sqrt{49}$ b) $3 \times \sqrt{25} - 2^2$ c) $\sqrt{64} : 2 + 5$ d)…

Solve the following combined operations, respecting the order of operations:

  1. a) $10 + \sqrt{49}$
  2. b) $3 \times \sqrt{25} - 2^2$
  3. c) $\sqrt{64} : 2 + 5$
  4. d) $(\sqrt{100} - 4) \times 3$
Solve
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Work out the value of the following expressions, respecting the order of operations: a) $3 \times \sqrt{81} - 2^2 \times (10 - \sqrt{49})$ b)…

Work out the value of the following expressions, respecting the order of operations:

  1. a) $3 \times \sqrt{81} - 2^2 \times (10 - \sqrt{49})$
  1. b) $(\sqrt{100} - 2^3)^2 + \sqrt{144} : 3$
Solve
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Work out the value of the following combined expression, paying attention to the order of operations and the properties of roots: $$ \sqrt{144} : (-3) + [(-2)^3 \times…

Work out the value of the following combined expression, paying attention to the order of operations and the properties of roots:

$$ \sqrt{144} : (-3) + [(-2)^3 \times \sqrt{25} - (-4)^2] - \sqrt{169 \times 4} $$
Solve

The square root algorithm

When the number is large and you don't recognize it as a perfect square, you can calculate its root step by step.

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Find the value of the digit $k$ so that the number $7\,05k$ is a perfect square. Once found, calculate the square root of this number using the step-by-step algorithm.…

Find the value of the digit $k$ so that the number $7\,05k$ is a perfect square. Once found, calculate the square root of this number using the step-by-step algorithm. (Hint: The number is between $80^2$ and $90^2$).

Solve

Roots and scientific notation

Very large quantities are written in scientific notation: $a \times 10^n$ with $1 \le a < 10$. For example, $5.76 \times 10^{10} = 57{,}600{,}000{,}000$: you move the decimal point $10$ places to the right.

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An astronomer observes a nebula whose apparent area in the sky is approximately circular. If the calculated area is $5.76 \times 10^{10}$ $km^2$: 1. Express this…

An astronomer observes a nebula whose apparent area in the sky is approximately circular. If the calculated area is $5.76 \times 10^{10}$ $km^2$:

  1. Express this quantity in standard decimal notation.

  2. Calculate the radius of this nebula, knowing that the area of a circle is approximated using the formula $A \approx 3 \times r^2$ (using $\pi \approx 3$ for simplicity).

  3. Express the result for the radius in scientific notation.

Solve

Problems with roots

When a problem talks about a square (a plot of land, a formation, a platform), the area is $l^2$ and the side is $\sqrt{\text{area}}$.

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A logistics company wants to store $196$ packages of medical supplies in a warehouse with a square floor plan. If the packages must be placed forming a perfect square on…

A logistics company wants to store $196$ packages of medical supplies in a warehouse with a square floor plan. If the packages must be placed forming a perfect square on the floor, how many packages will be on each side? If they later receive another $30$ packages and want to form the largest possible square again, how many packages will be left over?

Solve
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In a building video game, a player has $150$ stone blocks to create the base of a square tower. Work out: 1. The side length of the largest square base they can build.…

In a building video game, a player has $150$ stone blocks to create the base of a square tower. Work out:

  1. The side length of the largest square base they can build.

  2. The number of blocks left over after building it.

L² L maximum side L + R left over = 150 blocks
Solve
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The school chess club has $85$ students enrolled. For the official year photo, the photographer wants to arrange them in a perfect square. 1. How many students will be…

The school chess club has $85$ students enrolled. For the official year photo, the photographer wants to arrange them in a perfect square.

  1. How many students will be left out of the photo if the photographer wants to form the largest possible square?

  2. How many more students would be needed to add one more row and one more column to the square so that no one is left out?

Solve
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A logistics company wants to organise a fleet of $2\,500$ drones into a perfectly square formation for a night show. Due to a technical fault, $15\%$ of the drones…

A logistics company wants to organise a fleet of $2\,500$ drones into a perfectly square formation for a night show. Due to a technical fault, $15\%$ of the drones cannot take off. Work out:

  1. The side length of the largest square they can form with the remaining operational drones.

  2. How many drones are left over after forming this square.

  3. How many additional operational drones would be needed to add one more row and one more column to the square so that it remains complete.

Solve
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The area of a square garden is $676$ $m^2$. A security fence costing $12.50$ pesos per linear meter is to be installed around the garden. However, an opening of $2.5$…

The area of a square garden is $676$ $m^2$. A security fence costing $12.50$ pesos per linear meter is to be installed around the garden. However, an opening of $2.5$ meters must be left for a gate on one of the sides. Work out the total budget for installing the fence.

Cost: RD$12.50/m Garden area 676 m² Gate 2.5 m L = ?
Solve
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A square platform has been built by joining square plastic tiles of $1$ $dm^2$ each. To edge the entire platform, $156$ blue tiles were used (forming an outer perimeter…

A square platform has been built by joining square plastic tiles of $1$ $dm^2$ each. To edge the entire platform, $156$ blue tiles were used (forming an outer perimeter one tile wide).

  1. What is the total area of the platform in $dm^2$?

  2. What is the exact square root of this area?

Interior (n−2)² n
Solve

Back to the beginning: each wall of Yaritza's room measures $\sqrt{16} = 4$ m.

Summary

See all the exercises in this section