Square root x^2 = Absolute value x. Explain please (1 Viewer)

Alext_

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
37
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
I don't really understand this identity...can someone explain thoroughly with examples?
Cheers
 

Kurosaki

True Fail Kid
Joined
Jul 14, 2012
Messages
1,168
Location
Tubbytronic Superdome
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
Ok dude. The square root of something is always positive. So root x^2 will equal a positive number equal in magnitude to x.absolute of x- positive number equal in magnitude to x. The end :)
 
Last edited:

oh well

Banned
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
Messages
171
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
wtf man? it is not true.... square root of x^2 = +- x , not absolute value of x , unless x is a distance, speed (not velocity) etc. (anything that cannot be negative) :)
 

Capt Rifle

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
399
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
square root of x^2 is equal to plus or minusx, absolute value of x is always positive. so i dunno
 

deswa1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
2,256
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
When you say root 3, by convention you are assumed to mean the positive root. That's why in the quadratic formula say, its plus/minus the squareroot, because if you didn't have the plus/minus, you would only be taking the positive value.

Back to the original question, the squareroot of x^2 therefore must be the positive x solution, not -x, so its |x|
 

DamTameNaken

Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
48
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
by convention the square root is always positive

x^2 = 16
in this case x can equal 4 or -4

sqrt(16)=x
x can only equal to 4

you always take the positive or principle root when you're square rooting. It's weird and it only works by convention but that's how it is.
 

Riproot

#MedLyf
Joined
Nov 10, 2009
Messages
8,228
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
Uni Grad
2017
When you say root 3, by convention you are assumed to mean the positive root. That's why in the quadratic formula say, its plus/minus the squareroot, because if you didn't have the plus/minus, you would only be taking the positive value.

Back to the original question, the squareroot of x^2 therefore must be the positive x solution, not -x, so its |x|
it's not |x| it's x.

y = |x| is not always the same as y = x

is that right?
 

Carrotsticks

Retired
Joined
Jun 29, 2009
Messages
9,494
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
The answer y=|x| is correct and this can be observed by considering y=root(f(x)), where f(x) =x^2, in a geometric sense.
 

OH1995

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2011
Messages
150
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
The answer y=|x| is correct and this can be observed by considering y=root(f(x)), where f(x) =x^2, in a geometric sense.
+1 haha
My maths teacher always drills into us that the square root of a perfect square is in fact the absolute value.
 

Alext_

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
37
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
bumpp.
i'm annoyed how i still can't grasp this concept...
can someone please explain in a more 'simpler' way...or 'complex' way if it's easier to explain that way
 

Alext_

Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Messages
37
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
'the squareroot of x^2 therefore must be the positive x solution, not -x, so its |x|' - Kurosaki
i don't really understand that last part: ' not -x, so its |x|'
 

Trebla

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
8,135
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
I'll try with an example.



Let's consider for the example, the case that x = 2





Hence in this case

Now consider the case that x = -2





Hence in this case

Now think about extensions to this for every single real number of x (if you can).
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top