what is the square root of 25
What is the square root of 25?
Answer:
To understand the concept of square roots, let’s begin with a basic definition.
- Square Root: The square root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. It’s the inverse operation of squaring a number (multiplying a number by itself).
Step 1: Analyze the Number
When asked for the square root of 25, you are searching for a number ( x ) such that:
x \times x = 25
Step 2: Deduction Process
- Start by identifying possible factors of 25. The factors are numbers that multiply together to create 25.
- Since 25 is a perfect square (formed by squaring an integer), consider whole numbers first.
- Notice that ( 5 \times 5 = 25 ).
Step 3: Solution
Since 5 squared equals 25, the positive square root of 25 is 5. For completeness, in the set of real numbers, every positive number has two square roots: a positive and a negative one. Thus, both 5 and -5 satisfy the equation ( x^2 = 25 ).
Final Answer:
The square root of 25 is both ( 5 ) and ( -5 ), but when asked for “the square root of a positive number,” it usually refers to the principal (positive) root. Therefore, the principal square root of 25 is:
- 5