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Secondary 1 · Mathematics
Numbers · Powers and square roots

Square Root

A square card has an area of $64\ \text{cm}^2$. How long is its side? You need the opposite operation of squaring: the square root.

What a square root is

Each part of the expression has a name. In $\sqrt{81} = 9$:

The equality square root of 81 equals 9 with its parts labeled: radical sign, radicand, and root. √81 = 9 radical sign radicand root
  • The symbol $\sqrt{\ }$ is called the radical sign (or radical) and indicates that the square root is being asked for.

  • The number inside, $81$, is the radicand: the number whose root you are looking for.

  • The result, $9$, is the (square) root: the number that, squared, gives the radicand, because $9^2 = 81$.

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 square root among the numbers you know.

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In a square root, each number has a special name that indicates its function. Look at the following equation and identify the name of each of the elements pointed to by…

In a square root, each number has a special name that indicates its function. Look at the following equation and identify the name of each of the elements pointed to by arrows:

$\sqrt{81} = 9$

81 = 9 Radical sign Name? Name?
Solve
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Calculate the value of the following exact square roots mentally: a) $\sqrt{16} =$ b) $\sqrt{4} =$ c) $\sqrt{100} =$ d) $\sqrt{49} =$ e) $\sqrt{1} =$ f) $\sqrt{121} =$

Calculate the value of the following exact square roots mentally:

  1. a) $\sqrt{16} =$
  2. b) $\sqrt{4} =$
  3. c) $\sqrt{100} =$
  4. d) $\sqrt{49} =$
  5. e) $\sqrt{1} =$
  6. f) $\sqrt{121} =$
Solve
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Lucía wants to decorate a square greeting card with an area of $64 \text{ cm}^2$. To buy a decorative string to go around the entire edge, she first needs to know how…

Lucía wants to decorate a square greeting card with an area of $64 \text{ cm}^2$. To buy a decorative string to go around the entire edge, she first needs to know how long one side is. What is the side length of the card?

Area = 64 cm² Decorative string L = ? L = ?
Solve
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A photographer wants to organise his photos on a social network to form a square grid. If he has $144$ photos in total, how many photos must he put in each row and in…

A photographer wants to organise his photos on a social network to form a square grid. If he has $144$ photos in total, how many photos must he put in each row and in each column so that the grid is a perfect square?

x photos x photos Total: 144 x² = 144
Solve

When the root is not exact

Not every number is a perfect square. For those, you look for the integer square root: the greatest whole number whose square does not go over.

Comparison of the number 30 between the perfect squares 25 and 36 to conclude that its integer root is 5 with remainder 5. 255² < 30 < 366² integer root of 30 = 5,remainder = 30 − 25 = 5

This is also useful for problems about squares with leftovers or shortages. If with $N$ tiles you form a square of side $r$ and $s$ are left over, then $N = r^2 + s$. If adding one row and one column leaves you $f$ short, then $N = (r+1)^2 - f$.

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Not all roots are exact. Without using a calculator, state between which two consecutive integers the following square roots lie: a) $....... < \sqrt{20} < .......$ b)…

Not all roots are exact. Without using a calculator, state between which two consecutive integers the following square roots lie:

  1. a) $....... < \sqrt{20} < .......$
  2. b) $....... < \sqrt{50} < .......$
  3. c) $....... < \sqrt{11} < .......$
Solve
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Find the integer square root and the remainder of the following numbers. Also state between which two consecutive natural numbers each root lies. a) $\sqrt{30}$ b)…

Find the integer square root and the remainder of the following numbers. Also state between which two consecutive natural numbers each root lies.

  1. a) $\sqrt{30}$
  1. b) $\sqrt{55}$
  1. c) $\sqrt{85}$
Solve
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The school photography club wants to display $200$ photos on a board, forming the largest possible square. a) How many photos will each side of the square have? b) How…

The school photography club wants to display $200$ photos on a board, forming the largest possible square.

  1. a) How many photos will each side of the square have?
  2. b) How many photos will be left over?
  3. c) How many more photos would be needed to complete a square with one more photo on each side?
Solve
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We are designing a level for a video game on a grid. We want to build a square room using special tiles. If we use all the tiles we have, we have $15$ left over, but if…

We are designing a level for a video game on a grid. We want to build a square room using special tiles. If we use all the tiles we have, we have $15$ left over, but if we try to add one more row and one more column to make the square larger, we would be $16$ tiles short.

How many tiles do we have in total?

x² x x + 15 left over x² x + 1 x + 1 - 16 missing
Solve
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A card collector wants to organise his album. He knows that if he arranges his cards in a square, he has $8$ cards left over. However, if he tries to form a square with…

A card collector wants to organise his album. He knows that if he arranges his cards in a square, he has $8$ cards left over. However, if he tries to form a square with one more space on each side (one more unit per side), he would be $13$ cards short.

Calculate the number of cards the collector has and the value of the integer square root of that number.

Solve
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Find the natural number $A$ knowing that its integer square root is $25$ and that, if we add $20$ units to that number, it becomes an exact perfect square.

Find the natural number $A$ knowing that its integer square root is $25$ and that, if we add $20$ units to that number, it becomes an exact perfect square.

Solve

Comparing and reasoning with roots

To compare a root with a number, compare squares: since $\sqrt{36} = 6$, it is less than $7$. Between two roots, the one with the greater radicand is greater: $\sqrt{100} > \sqrt{64}$.

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Copy into your exercise book and use the signs $>$ (greater than), $<$ (less than) or $=$ (equal to) to compare the following numbers: a) $\sqrt{36} ....... 7$ b)…

Copy into your exercise book and use the signs $>$ (greater than), $<$ (less than) or $=$ (equal to) to compare the following numbers:

  1. a) $\sqrt{36} ....... 7$
  2. b) $\sqrt{81} ....... 9$
  3. c) $5 ....... \sqrt{16}$
  4. d) $\sqrt{100} ....... \sqrt{64}$
Solve
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State whether the following statements are true or false and briefly explain why: a) The square root of 25 is 5 because $5 \times 2 = 10$. b) There is no integer that is…

State whether the following statements are true or false and briefly explain why:

  1. a) The square root of 25 is 5 because $5 \times 2 = 10$.
  2. b) There is no integer that is the square root of 30.
  3. c) The number 0 has no square root.
  4. d) $\sqrt{144}$ is equal to 12 because $12^2 = 144$.
Solve
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Calculate the following exact square roots, justifying the result using a power, as in the example: Example: $\sqrt{49} = 7$ because $7^2 = 49$* a) $\sqrt{121}$ b)…

Calculate the following exact square roots, justifying the result using a power, as in the example:

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

  1. a) $\sqrt{121}$
  2. b) $\sqrt{169}$
  3. c) $\sqrt{225}$
  4. d) $\sqrt{400}$
Solve

Properties of the root

Visual diagram showing how the square root of a product splits into a product of roots. √(16 · 25) √16 · √25 = 4 · 5 = 20
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Apply the properties of radicals (root of a product and root of a quotient) to solve these operations in a simplified way: a) $\sqrt{64 \times 100}$ b)…

Apply the properties of radicals (root of a product and root of a quotient) to solve these operations in a simplified way:

  1. a) $\sqrt{64 \times 100}$
  2. b) $\sqrt{16 \times 25}$
  3. c) $\sqrt{\frac{144}{9}}$
  4. d) $\sqrt{4 \times 9 \times 100}$
Solve
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State whether the following statements are true or false, reasoning your answer with a counterexample where necessary: a) The square root of the sum of two numbers is…

State whether the following statements are true or false, reasoning your answer with a counterexample where necessary:

  1. a) The square root of the sum of two numbers is equal to the sum of the square roots of those numbers: $\sqrt{a+b} = \sqrt{a} + \sqrt{b}$.
  2. b) The square root of a negative number does not exist.
  3. c) If a number ends in $2$, it cannot be a perfect square.
  4. d) The square root of a number is always less than the number itself.
Solve
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Marta has a square board with $100$ squares. Her younger brother has given her another board whose area is a quarter of the first one. a) How many squares does the small…

Marta has a square board with $100$ squares. Her younger brother has given her another board whose area is a quarter of the first one.

  1. a) How many squares does the small board have?
  2. b) How many squares long is each side of the large board?
  3. c) How many squares long is each side of the small board? What is the relationship between the side length of the large board and the small one?
Large Board A₁ = 100 L₁ = ? L₁ = ? Small Board A₂ = A₁ ÷ 4 L₂ = ? L₂ = ? Area ÷ 4
Solve

Combined operations with roots

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

Levels of the order of operations, with powers and roots on the second level after parentheses. 1. Parentheses 2. Powers and roots 3. Multiply and divide; then add and subtract

An everyday problem: a square garden of $144\ \text{m}^2$ has a side of $\sqrt{144}=12$ m, and its perimeter is $4 \times 12 = 48$ m.

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Solve the following mixed operations following the order of operations (remember to calculate the square root before addition or subtraction): a) $15 + \sqrt{36} =$ b)…

Solve the following mixed operations following the order of operations (remember to calculate the square root before addition or subtraction):

  1. a) $15 + \sqrt{36} =$
  2. b) $2 \times \sqrt{25} - 3 =$
  3. c) $\sqrt{64} + \sqrt{9} =$
  4. d) $20 - \sqrt{81} : 3 =$
Solve
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In the school grounds, a square garden has been designed with an area of $144$ $m^2$. To protect the plants, the custodian wants to place a wooden fence all around the…

In the school grounds, a square garden has been designed with an area of $144$ $m^2$. To protect the plants, the custodian wants to place a wooden fence all around the edge. If each meter of fencing costs $240$ pesos, how much will it cost to fence the entire garden?

Garden area 144 m² L L Perimeter fence $240/m
Solve
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Calculate the value of the following expressions following the order of operations: a) $3^2 + \sqrt{64} - 2 \times 3$ b) $(\sqrt{100} - 4) : 2 + 5^2$ c)…

Calculate the value of the following expressions following the order of operations:

  1. a) $3^2 + \sqrt{64} - 2 \times 3$
  2. b) $(\sqrt{100} - 4) : 2 + 5^2$
  3. c) $2 \times \sqrt{81} - (3^2 - \sqrt{25})$
  4. d) $\sqrt{49} \times 2 + 10^2 : 4$
Solve
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Calculate the value of the following mixed expression, strictly following the order of operations: $$(2^3 + \sqrt{81}) : \sqrt{25} + (5^2 - 3^3 + 2)^4 \times \sqrt{144}…

Calculate the value of the following mixed expression, strictly following the order of operations:

$$(2^3 + \sqrt{81}) : \sqrt{25} + (5^2 - 3^3 + 2)^4 \times \sqrt{144} : 2^2$$
Solve

Powers in problems

Some problems combine roots with powers that have a natural-number exponent. A power is repeated multiplication: $2^3 = 2 \times 2 \times 2$. Two special cases are worth keeping clear:

  • If the base is $1$, the result is always $1$: $1^7 = 1 \times 1 \times \cdots \times 1 = 1$.

  • If the exponent is $0$, the result is $1$ (with a nonzero base): $5^0 = 1$.

Why is $a^0 = 1$? Because $2^3 \div 2^3 = 8 \div 8 = 1$, and subtracting the exponents gives $2^{3-3} = 2^0$. For everything to be consistent, $2^0$ must equal $1$.

To combine different bases, write them with the same base: $4 = 2^2$, $8 = 2^3$, $16 = 2^4$.

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Find the natural number $n$ that satisfies the following equation: $$3^n + 3^n + 3^n = 3^7$$ Reason your answer using the concept of adding equal terms and the laws of…

Find the natural number $n$ that satisfies the following equation:

$$3^n + 3^n + 3^n = 3^7$$

Reason your answer using the concept of adding equal terms and the laws of indices.

Solve
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A computer virus spreads as follows: every minute, each computer that was infected in the previous minute infects $3$ other computers. If at 10:00 a.m. there is only one…

A computer virus spreads as follows: every minute, each computer that was infected in the previous minute infects $3$ other computers. If at 10:00 a.m. there is only one infected computer (the first minutes of the spread are as follows: at minute 0 there is $1$ new computer and $1$ in total; at minute 1, $3$ new and $4$ in total; at minute 2, $9$ new and $13$ in total):

  1. a) Express as a power of base 3 how many computers are newly infected at 10:05.
  1. b) How many computers will be infected in total at that moment (10:05)? (Remember to add the initial infected computer and those from the previous minutes.)
Solve
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A courier company uses cubic boxes for its shipments. They have a large container that is also cubic and holds exactly $216$ small boxes. a) How many small boxes are in…

A courier company uses cubic boxes for its shipments. They have a large container that is also cubic and holds exactly $216$ small boxes.

  1. a) How many small boxes are in the base of the container?
  2. b) If they decide to manufacture a new container whose side is three times as long as the previous one, how many small boxes will fit in total in the new container? Express the result as a power.
Base: ? boxes 1 box ? boxes ? boxes V = 216 boxes Side ×3 3 × ? boxes ? boxes ? boxes V = ? boxes
Solve
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Use the laws of indices to express the result as a single power with base 2: $$\frac{(4^3 \times 8^2)^2}{(2 \times 16^3)}$$

Use the laws of indices to express the result as a single power with base 2:

$$\frac{(4^3 \times 8^2)^2}{(2 \times 16^3)}$$
Solve

Back to the beginning: the card of $64\ \text{cm}^2$ has a side of $\sqrt{64} = 8$ cm.

Summary

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