SOLUTION: What does the little number inside the "v" of the square root sign mean? I'm trying to help my son & don't remember ever learning that one. example: suare root of -8 with a li

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Question 175544: What does the little number inside the "v" of the square root sign mean?
I'm trying to help my son & don't remember ever learning that one.
example:
suare root of -8 with a little "3" in the "v"
Thanks!
Stephanie
Found 3 solutions by Alan3354, jim_thompson5910, stanbon:
Answer by Alan3354(69443) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
What does the little number inside the "v" of the square root sign mean?
I'm trying to help my son & don't remember ever learning that one.
example:
suare root of -8 with a little "3" in the "v"
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If there is no number, it's a square root.
If it's a 3, it's a cube root. 4 is the 4th root, etc.
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square root of -8 with a little "3" in the "v"
That's the cube root of -8, or
-8%5E%281%2F3%29
The cube root of -8 = -2 because (-2)*(-2)*(-2) = -8 (3 of them multiplied)

Answer by jim_thompson5910(35256) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Is the problem root%283%2C-8%29??? If so, then this reads: "the cubed root of -8"


What this is asking is: what number multiply by itself 3 times will give you -8?


Since %28-2%29%28-2%29%28-2%29=%28-2%29%284%29=-8, this shows us that -2 multiplied by itself 3 times is -8.


So root%283%2C-8%29=-2

Answer by stanbon(75887) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
What does the little number inside the "v" of the square root sign mean?
I'm trying to help my son & don't remember ever learning that one.
example:
square root of -8 with a little "3" in the "v"
--------------
That "little v" is really a "little r" and means root.
If there is no number it means square root.
If there is a 3, it means cube root, or 3rd root.
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Your Problem
cube root of -8 is -2 because (-2)(-2)(-2) = -8
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Cheers,
Stan H.