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

Alext_

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I don't really understand this identity...can someone explain thoroughly with examples?
Cheers
 

Kurosaki

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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 :)
 
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oh well

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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

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square root of x^2 is equal to plus or minusx, absolute value of x is always positive. so i dunno
 

deswa1

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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_

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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_

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'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

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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).
 

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