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How Do You Find the Square Root of a Perfect Square?
What is the square root of 36?
Summary
- The definition of a square root starts out by defining 'a2=b'
- If 'a2=b', then the square root of 'b' equals 'a'!
- Since we know that 'b' is 36, let's try squaring some numbers to see if any of their squares equal 36
- 62 equals 36, so 'a' must be 6!

Notes
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- 'a' and 'b' are variables here
- So if we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
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- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- We can find the value for 'a' by going starting at 1 and squaring it
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- We can find the value for 'a' by going starting at 1 and squaring it
- If 12 doesn't equal 36, then we'll keep 'guessing and checking'
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- We can find the value for 'a' by going starting at 1 and squaring it
- 12 does NOT equal 36, so let's move on to 22 next
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- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- 22 does NOT equal 36, so let's try 32 next
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- '32' does NOT equal 36, nor does 42
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- So far, 'a2' has equaled 1, 4, 9, and 16
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- So far, 'a2' has equaled 1, 4, 9, and 16
- 52 does NOT equal 36, but again, we're getting closer to 36
- 62 DOES equal 36, so 'a' is 6!
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- 62 equals 36, so 'a' is 6!
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- 62 equals 36, so 'a' is 6, and the square root of 36 is 6!
-
- If we know the value of 'a' or 'b', we can solve for the other variable!
- In our given problem, 36 is equivalent to 'b' in our definition of a square root
- 62 equals 36, so 'a' is 6, and the square root of 36 is 6!