What is the square root of 16?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the square root of a number, which refers to finding a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. In this case, we need to determine what number, when squared, equals 16.
Answer
4
Answer for screen readers
The square root of 16 is 4.
Steps to Solve
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Identify the square root
The square root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. We can express this mathematically as:
$\sqrt{16} = x$ where $x \times x = 16$
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Calculate the result
We need to find a number that, when multiplied by itself, equals 16. Let's think about it:
$4 \times 4 = 16$
Therefore, the square root of 16 is 4.
The square root of 16 is 4.
More Information
The square root of 16 is a perfect square, which means it results in a whole number. In fact, 16 is the fourth perfect square in the sequence of natural numbers (1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ...).
Tips
A common mistake is forgetting that square roots can be positive or negative. However, when we ask for 'the square root' without specifying, we typically mean the positive root. So while both 4 and -4, when squared, equal 16, we usually just say the square root of 16 is 4.
