Calculate square roots, cube roots, and nth roots. Includes step-by-step simplification and decimal approximations.
Simplify Radical (√)
| Form | Value |
|---|
Perfect squares
Perfect cubes
The nth root of x is the number y such that yⁿ = x. Written as ⁿ√x or x^(1/n). The square root (n=2) is the most common.
To simplify √72: find the largest perfect square factor. 72 = 36×2, so √72 = √36 × √2 = 6√2 ≈ 8.485.
Most roots are irrational (cannot be expressed as a simple fraction). √2 ≈ 1.41421356… is one of the most famous irrational numbers, proved irrational by the ancient Greeks.