The square root function (√x) returns the non-negative number whose square equals x.
Imagine you have an ice cream cone and you want to know what number multiplied by itself gives you that amount of ice cream. The square root (√x) would be like figuring out how many scoops were used to create that amount.
Exponentiation: Exponentiation is when we raise something to a power or multiply it by itself multiple times. Taking something to half-power (√x) is equivalent to raising it to 1/2 exponent.
Radical: A radical symbol (√) indicates taking roots or extracting values from under it. In this case, √x represents extracting the square root of x.
Rational Exponent: A rational exponent is a way to express roots as fractional exponents. For example, √x is equivalent to x^(1/2), where 1/2 is a rational exponent representing the square root.
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