Squares and Square Roots

In this section, you will learn how to:

• Write expressions for square roots using both the radical sign and fractional
exponents
• Simplify radical expressions
• Rationalize denominators
• Determine whether a square root is larger or smaller than its root.

Squaring is multiplying a number by itself. For example, 52 = 5 × 5 = 25 and x .x =

x2.

To take the square root of a number means to find the factor that, when multiplied by
itself, gives that original number.

A number has two square roots, one positive and one negative. The square root of 36
is either 6 or -6 because 6 x 6 = 36 and -6 x -6 = 36 also.

The radical sign is used to indicate a square root. When we see 81 , we know
that this indicates the positive square root of 81, which is 9. If we want to use the
negative square root, we write − 81 = −9. If we want to consider both the positive
and negative square roots of 81, we would write ± 81 . Also, know that x 2 = x.

1
We can also use the fraction to indicate a square root. Thus, we can write
2
1
(81) 2 = 9.

1
x=x 2

y =y
5 2

( )
1
The expression x 2 + y 2 = x 2 + y2 2 .

If you have a fractional exponent, the numerator indicates the power and the
3
denominator indicates the root. (16) 2 = (16) 3 = 4 3 = 64 . When given a square root
with a fractional exponent, take the root first and then raise that root to the given
power indicated by the numerator.
 The square root of a number multiplied by the square root of the same number equals
7 7 =7
that number: x x =x
1 1

x x
2 2
=x

• Squaring and taking the square root are inverse operations: they undo each other.
If we take the variable x, add 11 and then subtract 11, we get x + 11 – 11 = x.
Notice that the + 11 and the – 11 undo each other and we get back to x. Similarly,
the square and square root undo each other. If we square 6 and then take the
square root, we get back to 6: 6 2 = 6; ( 7 ) = 7; x 2 = x . In this last example,
2

the absolute value bars indicate that we are taking the positive root.

• It is important to know whether the square of a number is larger or smaller than

the original number.
o If the original number is a positive number greater than 1, the square will
be larger. Algebraically, we may express this as n2 > n.
o If the original number is negative, the square will always be larger because
the square of a negative number is always positive and a positive number
is always larger than a negative one. Again, n2 > 1.
o If the original number is a positive number between 0 and 1, the square
will be smaller than the original number. Algebraically, we may express
1
this as n2 < n. An example would be squaring the fraction . If we
2
2
1 1  1  1  1 1 1
square we get   =    = . The fraction < .
2 2  2  2  4 4 2

Perfect squares are the result of multiplying an integer by itself.

12 = 1
22 = 4
32 = 9

Also note that:

(-1)2 = 1
(-2)2 = 4
(-3)2 = 9

It is useful to know the squares of the first 12 positive integers. It is also good to know
that (13)2 = 169, (15)2 = 225, (16)2 = 256, and (25)2 = 625.

Square roots: Taking the square root is the inverse operation of squaring. When
squaring, we are given a factor and asked to find a product. When taking the square root,
we are given the product and asked to find which factor can be multiplied by itself to get
the product. If you are told to find 64 , you are asked to find the positive number that
you must multiply by itself to get 64. That number is 8.
A positive number will have both a positive and a negative square root. The square root
of 4 is equal to 2 because 2 × 2 = 4. However, the square root of 4 is also equal to – 2
because ( – 2) (– 2) = 4 also.

• If a number is greater than or equal to 1, its square root will be less than or equal
to the original number. We may express this as n ≤ n or n ≥ n .
• If a number is between 0 and 1, its square root will be greater than the original
1 1
number. We may express this as n > n. As an example, = . In this case,
4 2
the square root is greater.

• If a number is negative, it does not have a square root in the real number system.
It will have a square root in the complex number system but the SAT does not
have questions about complex numbers.

• Most numbers don’t have square roots that are integers. In this case, we can
approximate. 2 ≈1.414 and 3 ≈1.732 . Most often, however, we leave the
numbers in radical form.

• Square roots are treated the same way like terms are treated.
o We can add like terms but not unlike terms. Thus, x + 2x = 3x and
5 + 2 5 = 3 5. However, x + 2y = x + 2y and 7 + 11 = 7 + 11 .
Radical expressions with different numbers and variables under the radical
sign are considered unlike and cannot be combined using addition or
subtraction to form a single term.
o We can always multiply or divide unlike terms. The same is true for
10 10
radical terms. 2 7 = 14 and = = 5 . Similarly,
2 2
3x 2 y 5 xy 3 = 15 x 3 y 4

• Algebra teachers and the people who write the SAT hate radicals in the
denominator. Always rationalize the denominator so that there are no radicals but
only whole numbers. Rationalize the denominator by multiplying both numerator
and denominator by an expression that will cancel the radical.
o If the denominator has a single term, multiply both numerator and
3x 3x 7 3x 7
denominator by that term. = × =
7 7 7 7
o If the denominator has two terms, multiply both numerator and
denominator by the conjugate of the denominator. The conjugate of the
denominator is found by changing the sign between the two terms to its
opposite. For example, if the denominator is 3 − 5 , change the sign so
that the expression becomes 3 + 5 . Similarly, − 2 + 3 becomes
−2 − 3 . When you multiply a binomial by its conjugate, the middle
terms will cancel and the denominator will have two terms.
1
Example 1: Given the expression , rationalize the denominator.
x− 2
Step 1: Find the conjugate, which is x + 2
Step 2: Multiply both numerator and denominator by that conjugate. You will have to
foil the original denominator and its conjugate.
1 x+ 2 x+ 2 x+ 2
× = =
x− 2 x+ 2 x −x 2 +x 2 − 2 2
2
x2 − 2

Simplifying radical terms.

If an answer has a radical term in it, the SAT will give it to you in simplified form.
Therefore, you must know how to simplify radicals.

To simplify radicals, we are trying to make the numbers under the radical as small as
possible. If a radical expression has an integral square root, this is straight forward.
25 = 5.

Suppose, however, we were asked to simplify 50 . In this case, we look for the largest
perfect square that is a factor of 50. The number 25 is a perfect square because 5 × 5 =
25. Factor 50 = 25 2 = 5 2 , This is the simplified form.

Similarly, 56 = 8 7 = 4 2 7 = 2 2 7 = 2 14 .
48 = 16 3 = 4 3 . If you didn’t recognize that the largest perfect square
that factors into 48 is 16, you could use the factors you know.
48 = 8 6 = 4 2 3 2 = 4 2 2 3 = 2 × 2 × 3 = 4 3 .

Variables under the radical sign also need to be simplified. If the exponent on the
variable is an even number, simplify by taking half of that exponent. For example,
x 4 = x 2 . If the exponent is odd, divide by 2 if you are taking a square root and by 3 if
you are taking a cube root. The quotient is the exponent of the variable that goes outside
the radical while the remainder is the exponent of the variable staying under the radical.

x5 = x2 . To find this answer, we took the exponent 5 and divided it by 2. We get a

x
quotient of 2 with a remainder of 1. Thus, outside the radical we have x2 and under the
radical we have x1 which is just written as x.

Example 2: Simplify 45 x 3 y 6 z 5

Step 1: Simplify the number first. 45 = 9 5 =3 5 . Since no perfect squares are

factors of 5, we cannot simplify 5.

Step 2: Simplify the variable terms.

x3: Divide 3 by 2 and get 1 with a remainder of 1. We get x x
y6: Divide by 2 and get 3. Since there is no remainder, there is nothing under the
radical. We simply have y3.

z5 : Divide by 2 and get 2 with a remainder of 1. This expression becomes

z2 z
Step 3: Multiply the terms outside of the radicals together. Then multiply the terms
under the radicals together and get 3 xy 3 z 2 5 x z = 3 xy 3 z 2 5 xz

Example 3: x y = 27 27 and x > y. What could x be?

A. 729
B. 81
C. 27
D. 729
E.9

The trick to solving this problem is to simplify the expression completely. Since
27 = 9 3 = 3 3 , the entire expression becomes 27 ×3 3 = 81 3 . Hence, x could
equal 81.
Try the following problems.

1. Add 5 +3 5 + 7

2. Subtract: 8 11 −2 11

3. Multiply and simplify. 7 xy 2

8 xy 3

4. Find the conjugate of – 1 – 10

5. Multiply and simplify. 12 6

6. Simplify 108 x 5 y 3

x +3
7. Rationalize the denominator:
x −3

3
8. Rationalize the denominator:
x + 13

5
9. Rationalize the denominator:
x− 2

x −1
10. Rationalize the denominator:
x −1

11. If x y = 20 20 and x > y, what could x be?

A. 400
B. 40
C. 40
D. 5
E. 4

( )
1
12. Evaluate 4xy 2 2

( )
1
13. Evaluate 18x 5 2
Answers

1. 4 5+ 7

2. 6 11

3. 2 xy 2
14 y . To simplify, multiply the radical terms together and get
56 x y 5 =
2
4 14 xy 2
y = 2 xy 2 14 y

4. −1 + 10

5. 12 6 = 72 = 36 2 =6 2

If you don’t remember that 36 is the largest perfect square that is a factor of 72, you can
factor by simplifying both 12 and 6. 12 = 4 3 = 2 3 and 6 = 3 2 .
Multiplying all of this together and simplifying, get 2 3 × 3 2 = 2 x 3 x 2 =
6 2

6. 6x 2 y 3 xy . It helps to know that 108 = 36 x 3.

x x + 3x + 3 x + 9 x +3 x +3
7. . × . To simplify this, it is necessary to use one
x −9 x −3 x +3
of the methods for multiplying two binomials. You may be most comfortable
using the FOIL method.

8.
(
3 x − 13 )
. Multiply both numerator and denominator by the conjugate:
3
x 2 −13 x + 13
x − 13
× . The numerator becomes 3(x - 13 ). Multiply the two denominators
x − 13
using the FOIL method or some equivalent method and get x2 – 13.

9.
(
5x+ 2 )
x2 − 2

x x − x + x −1
10.
x −1

11. 40 . Since 20 = 4 5 = 2 5 , the entire expression becomes 20(2) 5 = 40 5

12. 2y x
13. 3 x 2 2 x