Calculate Square Roots . . . using equations
Example
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Simplify the Square Root Calculation
Calculate Square Root:
Step 1:
Factor the radicand into a series of perfect squares.
Step 2:
Evaluate the square root of each perfect square separately - thus removing every perfect square from beneath the square root radical.
Note: while each square root has two solutions (+ and -), it is only necessary to show the positive values in this step.
Step 3:
Evaluate the SURD
. Once the perfect squares have been removed from beneath the square root radical, evaluate the surd (the remaining, unevaluated square root) using standard methods such as Newton's Method, Direct Calculation, a Square Root Table, or the Guess & Check Method.
Step 4:
Multiply all the results obtained separately (in steps 2 & 3).
The final answer is:
to 4 decimal points
Example
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Factor the Square Root Equation
Calculate Square Root:
Step 1:
Square each side of the equation.
Step 2:
Re-write the equation shown in step 1 in standard quadratic form.
Step 3:
Factor the quadratic equation.
Step 4:
Using the Zero-Product Principle, set the first factor equal to zero, then solve for x.
(The Zero-Product Principle states that when two factors multiplied together equal zero, either one factor or both factors must equal zero.)
Step 5:
Set the second factor equal to zero, then solve for x.
The final answer is:
(The square root has a different solution for each factor.)