1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Preview

Warm Up
California Standards
Lesson Presentation
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Warm Up
Simplify each expression.
1. 6 2 36 2. 112
121

3. (–9)(–9) 81 4. 25
36
Write each fraction as a decimal.

5. 2 0.4 6. 5 0.5
5 9

7. 5 3 5.375 8. –1 5 –1.83
8 6
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

California
Standards
2.0 Students understand and use such
operations as taking the opposite, finding the
reciprocal, taking a root, and raising to a
fractional power. They understand and use the
rules of exponents.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Vocabulary
square root terminating decimal
principal square root repeating decimal
perfect square irrational numbers
cube root
natural numbers
whole numbers
integers
rational numbers
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

A number that is multiplied by itself to form a

product is a square root of that product. The
radical symbol is used to represent square
roots. For nonnegative numbers, the operations
of squaring and finding a square root are inverse
operations. In other words, for x ≥ 0,
Positive real numbers have two square roots.

=4 Positive square
4  4 = 42 = 16 root of 16

(–4)(–4) = (–4)2 = 16 – = –4 Negative square

root of 16
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

The principal square root of a number is the

positive square root and is represented by . A
negative square root is represented by – . The
symbol is used to represent both square roots.

A perfect square is a number whose positive

square root is a whole number. Some examples
of perfect squares are shown in the table.

0 1 4 9 16 25 36 49 64 81 100
02 12 22 32 42 52 62 72 82 92 102
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Writing Math
The small number to the left of the root is the
index. In a square root, the index is understood
to be 2. In other words, is the same as .
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

A number that is raised to the third power to form

a product is a cube root of that product. The
symbol indicates a cube root. Since 23 = 8,
= 2. Similarly, the symbol indicates a fourth
root: 2 = 16, so = 2.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 1: Finding Roots

Find each root.

Think: What number squared equals 81?

Think: What number squared equals 25?

1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 1: Finding Roots

Find the root.

C.

Think: What number cubed equals

–216?
= –6 (–6)(–6)(–6) = 36(–6) = –216
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Check It Out! Example 1

Find each root.

a.
Think: What number squared
equals 4?

b.
Think: What number squared
equals 25?
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Check It Out! Example 1

Find the root.

c.

Think: What number to the fourth

power equals 81?
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 2: Finding Roots of Fractions

Find the root.

A.

Think: What number squared

equals
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 2: Finding Roots of Fractions

Find the root.

B.

Think: What number cubed equals

1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 2: Finding Roots of Fractions

Find the root.

C.

Think: What number squared

equals
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Check It Out! Example 2

Find the root.

a.

Think: What number squared

equals
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Check It Out! Example 2

Find the root.

b.

Think: What number cubed

equals
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Check It Out! Example 2c

Find the root.

c.

Think: What number squared

equals
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Square roots of numbers that are not perfect

squares, such as 15, are not whole numbers. A
calculator can approximate the value of as
3.872983346... Without a calculator, you can use
square roots of perfect squares to help estimate the
square roots of other numbers.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers
Additional Example 3: Art Application

As part of her art project, Shonda will need to

make a paper square covered in glitter. Her
tube of glitter covers 13 in². Estimate to the
nearest tenth the side length of a square with
an area of 13 in².

Since the area of the square is 13 in², then each

side of the square is in. 13 is not a perfect
square, so find two consecutive perfect squares
that is between: 9 and 16. is between
and , or 3 and 4. Refine the estimate.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 3 Continued

3.5 3.52 = 12.25 too low

3.6 3.62 = 12.96 too low

3.65 3.652 = 13.32 too high

Since 3.6 is too low and 3.65 is too high, is

between 3.6 and 3.65. Round to the nearest tenth.

The side length of the paper square is

1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Writing Math
The symbol ≈ means “is approximately equal to.”
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers
Check It Out! Example 3

What if…? Nancy decides to buy more wildflower

seeds and now has enough to cover 26 ft2.
Estimate to the nearest tenth the side length of a
square garden with an area of 26 ft2.

Since the area of the square is 26 ft², then each

side of the square is ft. 26 is not a perfect
square, so find two consecutive perfect squares
that is between: 25 and 36. is between
and , or 5 and 6. Refine the estimate.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Check It Out! Example 3 Continued

5.0 5.02 = 25 too low

5.1 5.12 = 26.01 too high

Since 5.0 is too low and 5.1 is too high, is

between 5.0 and 5.1. Rounded to the nearest tenth,

 5.1.
The side length of the square garden is  5.1 ft.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Real numbers can be classified according to their

characteristics.

Natural numbers are the counting

numbers: 1, 2, 3, …
Whole numbers are the natural numbers
and zero: 0, 1, 2, 3, …
Integers are the whole numbers and their
opposites: –3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3, …
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Rational numbers are numbers that can be

expressed in the form , where a and b are both
integers and b ≠ 0. When expressed as a decimal,
a rational number is either a terminating decimal
or a repeating decimal.
• A terminating decimal has a finite number of
digits after the decimal point (for example, 1.25,
2.75, and 4.0).
• A repeating decimal has a block of one or more
digits after the decimal point that repeat
continuously (where all digits are not zeros).
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Irrational numbers are all numbers that are not

rational. They cannot be expressed in the form
where a and b are both integers and b ≠ 0. They
are neither terminating decimals nor repeating
decimals. For example:
0.10100100010000100000…
After the decimal point, this number contains 1
followed by one 0, and then 1 followed by two
0’s, and then 1 followed by three 0’s, and so on.

This decimal neither terminates nor repeats, so it is

an irrational number.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

If a whole number is not a perfect square, then its

square root is irrational. For example, 2 is not a
perfect square and is irrational.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers
The real numbers are made up of all rational
and irrational numbers.
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Reading Math
Note the symbols for the sets of numbers.
R: real numbers
Q: rational numbers
Z: integers
W: whole numbers
N: natural numbers
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers

Additional Example 4: Classifying Real Numbers

Write all classifications that apply to each
real number.
A. –32
32
–32 = – –32 can be written in the form .
1
–32 = –32.0 –32 can be written as a terminating
decimal.
rational number, integer, terminating decimal
B.
14 is not a perfect square, so is
irrational
irrational.
 1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers
Check It Out! Example 4
Write all classifications that apply to each real
number.
.7
7 49 can be written in the form .

67  9 = 7.444… = 7.4 can be written as a repeating

decimal.
rational number, repeating decimal
b. –12
–12 can be written in the form .
–12 can be written as a
terminating decimal.
rational number, terminating decimal, integer
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers
Check It Out! Example 4
Write all classifications that apply to each real
number.

10 is not a perfect square, so

irrational is irrational.

100 is a perfect square, so

is rational.
10 can be written in the form
and as a terminating decimal.
natural, rational, terminating decimal, whole, integer
1-5 Roots and Irrational Numbers
Lesson Quiz
Find each square root.

1. 3 2. 3. 5 4. 1

5. The area of a square piece of cloth is 68 in2.

Estimate to the nearest tenth the side length
of the cloth.  8.2 in.
Write all classifications that apply to each
real number.
6. –3.89 rational, repeating 7. irrational
decimal