SOLUTION: I am having a problem with radicals and not really sure how to solve this problem since the square root of 20 doesn't come out to be a whole number. Heres the problem... what is

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Question 6392: I am having a problem with radicals and not really sure how to solve this problem since the square root of 20 doesn't come out to be a whole number. Heres the problem...
what is the square root of 20x^5
Thank You for any help.
Joe
Answer by rapaljer(4671) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
sqrt%2820x%5E5%29

Find all perfect squares that divide into the radicand 20x%5E5. That would be 4 and when it comes to variables raised to a power, the power must be divisible by 2. Try x%5E4. Write the square root as a product of two square roots with all the perfect squares in the first radical and left over factors in the second radical:
sqrt%2820x%5E5%29+
sqrt%284x%5E4%29%2Asqrt%285x%29

You can easily take the square root of the first radical, and leave the second part in the radical:
2x%5E2+%2A+sqrt%285x%29

R%^2 at SCC