Question

If y is the principal square root of 5 what must be true?

Answer 1

Since every square root has a positive and a negative solution, for example:


`√(9)` = -3 or +3

The principal square root defines only the positive solution (between the two);

Therefore: if y is the principal square root of 5, then it must be the positive square root of 5, not the negative square root of 5.