What Is a Square Root and How Is It Calculated?
Finding the "root" of a number is the opposite of raising a number to a power. For example, we know that 3² = 9. The square root of 9 asks the question, "What number, when multiplied by itself, equals 9?" The answer is 3.
While the square root is the most common, you can find any "nth" root. I designed this calculator to solve for any root you need, whether it's a square root, a cube root, or the 5th root.
How to Use the Nth Root Calculator
Simply enter two values:
- The Root (n): For a square root, enter 2. For a cube root, enter 3, and so on.
- The Number (x): The number you want to find the root of.
How to Use This Nth Root Calculator
Calculating the nth root of a number 'x' is the same as raising 'x' to the power of 1/n.
ⁿ√x = x^(1/n)
This is the formula my calculator uses. For example, to find the cube root of 27 (³√27), it calculates 27^(1/3), which equals 3.
A Note on Negative Numbers
You can take an odd root (like a cube root) of a negative number. For example, the cube root of -8 is -2, because (-2) × (-2) × (-2) = -8.
However, you cannot take an even root (like a square root) of a negative number in the real number system. Doing so results in a "complex" or "imaginary" number, which this calculator does not support.