Lesson 2 Introduction

8.EE.1.2

Square Roots and Cube Roots

Use What You Know

In Lesson 1 you learned the properties of integer exponents. Now, take a look at
this problem.

The length of each side of a square measures s inches long. The area of the square is 49 in.2.
What is the length of one side of the square?
s

s s

Use the math you know to answer the question.

a. Describe in words how to find the area of the square given that each side is s inches long.

b. Write a multiplication expression using the variable s to represent the area of the square.

c. Write an expression using the variable s and an exponent to represent the area of
the square.

d. Write an equation setting your expression equal to the area of the square given in
the problem.
e. Consider the factors of 49. Explain what the two sides of the equation have in common
when you write each as the product of two factors.

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 Find Out More
The number 49 is one of a set of numbers called perfect squares. A perfect square is a number
that results from multiplying an integer by itself. The first 15 perfect squares are shown.

12 5 1 42 5 16 72 5 49 102 5 100 132 5 169

22 5 4 52 5 25 82 5 64 112 5 121 142 5 196

32 5 9 62 5 36 92 5 81 122 5 144 152 5 225

Look at the equation you wrote on the previous page, s2 = 49. How do you solve an equation
where a variable squared is equal to a perfect square? You have solved equations before by
using inverse operations. You solved addition equations by subtracting. You solved division
equations by multiplying. What is the inverse operation of squaring a number?

The inverse operation of squaring is finding the square root. A square root of a number is
any number that you can multiply by itself to get your original number. For example, 3 is a
square root of 9, because 3 • 3 = 9. Another square root of 9 is 23, because (23) • (23) 5 9.

The symbol ​Ï··  ​ means positive square root. So, ​Ï··

9  ​5 3.

     s2 5 49 The inverse of squaring is finding a square root.

s 5 6​Ï···
       49 ​  Find the square root of both sides.
      
s 5 67 49 is a perfect square.
s57
       The length of one side of the square is 7 inches.

Reflect
1 What is the difference between dividing 16 by 2 and finding the square roots of 16?

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Lesson 2 Modeled and Guided Instruction

Learn About Finding Cube Roots

Read the problem below. Then explore how to solve equations with cubes and
cube roots.

Each edge of a cube measures a feet long. The volume of the cube is 125 ft3. What
is the measure of each edge of the cube?

Picture It  Draw and label the cube.

a
Volume 5125 ft3
a
a

The length, width, and height of the cube each measure a feet.

Solve It  You can apply the formula for the volume of a cube.
The volume of the cube is the product of its length, width, and height.

       a • a • a 5 V length 5 a, width 5 a, and height 5 a

a3 5 V
             

a3 5 125 Substitute the given volume of the cube for V.

             

You can use this equation to find the value of a.

14 Lesson 2  Square Roots and Cube Roots ©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted.
Connect It  Now you will solve the problem from the previous page.
2 Complete the prime factorization of 125.

125

25

3 Write 125 as the product of three factors and as a power of base 5.

4 What does 125 have in common with a3 when 125 is written as a power?


The product of an integer used as a factor three times is a perfect cube. Finding the cube
root is the inverse of cubing a number. The cube root of a number is the number that is
3
used as a factor three times to produce the original number. The symbol Ï ​   ··  ​ means find the
cube root.

5 Look at Solve It on the previous page. The equation shows    a3 5 125
a variable cubed equal to a perfect cube.
Ï
3 ··············
Use the cube root to complete the solution. Ï​   ··
3
a3 ​ 5 ​      ​

Ï
3 ··············
Solution: Each edge of the cube is    feet long. Ï​   ··
3
a3 ​ 5 ​      ​

   5   
Try It  Use what you just learned to solve these problems. Show your work on a
separate sheet of paper.

6 Solve: y3 5 8

7 Solve: x3 5 27

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Lesson 2 Modeled and Guided Instruction

Learn About Solving Word Problems

Read the problem below. Then explore how to use square roots and cube roots to
solve word problems.

City Park is a square piece of land with an area of 10,000 square yards. What is the
length of the fence that encloses the park?

Picture It  You can draw a diagram to help solve the problem.
The park is a square. The fence runs along the outside edge of the park.

Fence
Area 5 10,000 yd2     

The length of the fence is the perimeter of the square.

Solve It  To find the perimeter of the square park, you need to know the length of
one side of the square.
Let f be the length of one side of the square.

A  5 10,000     Area of the park is 10,000 yd2

f 2 5 10,000    Area equals the length of one side squared.

16 Lesson 2  Square Roots and Cube Roots ©Curriculum Associates, LLC  Copying is not permitted.
Connect It  Now you will solve the problem from the previous page.
8 What number squared equals 10,000?

9 Look at Solve It on the previous page. Solve the equation for f.

f 2 5 10,000

10 What is the length of each side of the park?

11 Write and solve an equation to find the perimeter of the park.

12 What is the length of the fence that encloses the park?

13 The park’s rectangular garden area is 450 square yards. Its length is twice its width. Find
the dimensions of the garden. Begin with the equation (2w)(w)  450.

Rewrite the equation using exponents.

Divide both sides by 2.

Solve and write the garden’s dimensions.

Try It  Use what you just learned about square roots and cube roots to solve
these problems. Show your work on a separate sheet of paper.

14 The volume of a cube is 1,000 cm3. What is the length of an edge?

15 A gift box in the shape of a cube has a volume of 216 cm3. What is the area of the base of

the box?

16 A scientist finds the temperature of a sample at the beginning of an experiment is t°C.

After 1 hour, the temperature is t2 °C. If the temperature after 1 hour is 81°C, what are
two possible original temperatures? What is the difference between the possible
original temperatures?

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Lesson 2 Guided Practice

Practice Finding Square Roots and Cube Roots

Study the example below. Then solve problems 17–19.

Example
The distance in feet that a freely falling dropped object falls in In this problem, you will
t seconds is given by the equation ​  d  ​  5 t2. divide before you find
··
16 the square root.
How long does it take a dropped object to fall 64 feet?

Look at how you could solve this problem.

The given equation is: ​  d  ​ 5 t2

···
16
64 2
Substitute 64 for d:  ​ ···
16 ​ 5 t
Simplify: 4 5 t2
 
Because t represents time, t is positive. Ï 45Ï
 ​  ··
 ​
  ​ ··
t2 ​ 
Take the positive square root of   t 5 2
both sides: Pair/Share
How far does an object
The object takes 2 seconds to fall 64 feet. fall in 1 second?
Solution

17 The area of the top face of a cube is 9 square meters. What

is the volume of the cube?
Show your work.

What information do you

need to calculate the
volume of a cube?

Pair/Share
The cube has 6 faces.
What does the
expression 6 • 9 describe?
Solution

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18 The length of each edge of a cube is x centimeters. If x is an integer,
why can’t the volume of the cube equal 15 cm3?
Show your work.

Write an equation
showing a variable
expression for volume is
equal to 15.

Solution

Pair/Share
 Are all perfect cubes
also multiples of 3? Are
all multiples of 3 also
perfect cubes? Discuss.

19 Yesterday, there were b milligrams of bacteria in a lab experiment.

Today, there are b2 milligrams of bacteria. If there are 400 milligrams
today, how many milligrams of bacteria were there yesterday?
A 20 milligrams
Do you square a number
B 200 milligrams or find the square root to
C 1,600 milligrams solve the problem?

D 160,000 milligrams

Eva chose B as the correct answer. How did she get that answer?

 Pair/Share
Talk about the problem
 and then write your
answer together.

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Lesson 2 Independent Practice

Practice Finding Square Roots and Cube Roots

Solve the problems.

1 Solve a3 5 64.
A a 5 4
B a 5 8
C a 5 21
D a 5 32

2 Which number is a perfect square?

A 8
B 18
C 200
D 225

3 The fractions below are possible values of x in the given equations. Write the correct fraction
inside the box for each equation.

​ 9 ​  ​ 1 ​  ​ 3 ​  ​ 2 ​ 
··
8 ··
2 ··
4 ··
3

​  4 ​   
a. x2 5 }
9

​  27  ​  
b. x3 5 }}
64

81
c. x2 5 }}
​    ​  
64

​  1 ​   
d. x3 5 }
8

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 4 Use the numbers shown to make the two equations true. Each number can be used only
once. Write the number in the appropriate box for each equation.

3  6  100  36  1,000  1,000,000

Ï Ï
·············· 3 ··············
5 5
​    ​      ​
     ​

3
5 If x is a positive integer, is ​ ··
Ï··x
​  12  ​ ​  greater than, less than, or equal to ​   ··
Ï··x
​  13  ​ ​   ?
Show your work.

Answer

6 Describe how you could use inverse operations to solve the equation Ï x ​ 5 4.
​ ··

Self Check Go back and see what you can check off on the Self Check on page 1.

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