Find the square root of any number — the value that, when multiplied by itself, gives your number.
The square root is the number that produces your input when multiplied by itself.
If the result is a whole number, the input is a perfect square.
Negative numbers have no real square root, because any real number multiplied by itself is positive.
Square root: √n = x where x × x = n
Also written: n^(1/2)
Finding the square root of 144.
Number: 144
Look for a number that multiplied by itself gives 144
12 × 12 = 144
144 is so a perfect square
Answer: √144 = 12
Why can't I take the square root of a negative number?
Because a positive number times a positive number is positive, and a negative number times a negative number is also positive. No real number, when squared, gives a negative answer. Mathematicians use imaginary numbers to handle this, but there is no real answer.
Doesn't every number have two square roots?
Yes — both 12 and −12, when squared, give 144. By agreement, the √ symbol means the positive root, which is what this calculator shows.
What is a perfect square?
A number whose square root is a whole number — like 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, and so on.