Final answer:
15 1/2 expressed using radicals would be 15 + sqrt(1/4), which simplifies to 15 1/2. None of the given options (A to E) match this expression as they do not accurately represent the sum of 15 and 1/2.
Step-by-step explanation:
When expressing the number 15 1/2 using radicals, we first need to understand that the fractional part, 1/2, can be rewritten in radical form. We know that 1/2 is the same as the square root of 1/4, since (sqrt(1/4))^2 = 1/4. Therefore, 15 1/2 can be written as 15 + sqrt(1/4). Since sqrt(1/4) is the same as 1/2, we do not fundamentally change the value by expressing it using radicals.
So 15 1/2 equals 15 + 1/2, which is not precisely represented by any of the given answer options (A to E) since none of these express the combination of a whole number and a radical that would equate to adding 1/2 to 15. The correct expression using radicals for 15 1/2 is 15 + sqrt(1/4), but it is more commonly written simply as 15 1/2.