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How to Caculate Square Root

If you take a middle school, high school or college math course, you probably will hear the term "square root." The square root of a number is a value times itself that equals that number. The opposite of a square root is an exponent that raises a value to a second power. A square root consists of a radical symbol that resembles a check mark and a radicand, which is the number underneath the radical sign.

Instructions

- 1
  Write down the problem. For example, you might have √49.
- 2
  Determine which number times itself equals the radicand. In this case, 7 times 7 equals 49. Therefore, √49 = 7.
- 3
  Use a calculator (see Resources) for a quick way to find a square root. This is also useful if the number isn't a perfect square. For example, if you have √26, you know that the answer is a little more than 5, since 5 times 5 is 25. Therefore, you can enter 26 followed by the radical symbol into your calculator to find the answer. For online calculators, you usually enter the radicand and click a button that says "Calculate."

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