simplify square root of 9
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the simplification of the square root of 9, which requires us to find the principal square root of this number.
Answer
$3$
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is $3$.
Steps to Solve
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Identify the square root To find the square root of 9, we look for a number that, when multiplied by itself, equals 9.
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Determine the possible candidates The numbers to consider are 3 and -3, since both can yield 9 when squared. $$ 3 \times 3 = 9 $$ $$ (-3) \times (-3) = 9 $$
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Select the principal square root The principal square root is the non-negative root. Thus, we choose 3 as the principal square root of 9. $$ \sqrt{9} = 3 $$
The final answer is $3$.
More Information
The square root function gives us the principal (non-negative) root, which means for any positive number, its square root will always be a positive number or zero.
Tips
- Forgetting that the square root function only gives the principal root and not the negative counterpart. Remember to note that we are looking for the non-negative result when finding square roots.