SOLUTION: solve t^2=25 I think the answer is 12.5 Can you help me?

Question 324399: solve
t^2=25
I think the answer is 12.5
Can you help me?
Found 2 solutions by Fombitz, solver91311:
Answer by Fombitz(32388) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
No, what number multiplied by itself is 25.

Answer by solver91311(24713) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!

means multiply

So if 12.5 is the answer, that means that

Get out the calculator. 12.5, X, =. Calculator says 156.25. Not 25.

You want the number when multiplied by itself is equal to . BUT don't stop there. Once you recall from your 3rd grade multiplication tables which number times itself equals 25 you only have half the answer. That is because a positive number times a positive number is a positive number, but a negative number times a negative number is ALSO a positive number. That means both the positive and the negative of the value are answers to this problem.

The fact that this problem has two answers makes good sense -- the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra says that a non-zero polynomial equation with complex coefficients has as many roots, counting multiplicities, as the degree of the polynomial. You have a polynomial of degree 2, so there has to be two roots.

John

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