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Elementary Algebra

Introduction

Elementary AlgebraIntroduction
Figure 9.1 Square roots are used to determine the time it would take for a stone falling from the edge of this cliff to hit the land below.

Chapter Outline

Introduction

Suppose a stone falls from the edge of a cliff. The number of feet the stone has dropped after tt seconds can be found by multiplying 16 times the square of tt. But to calculate the number of seconds it would take the stone to hit the land below, we need to use a square root. In this chapter, we will introduce and apply the properties of square roots, and extend these concepts to higher order roots and rational exponents.

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