Urgent:: help with year 10 homework please.....

[lilospell]

Ashamed to admit, have got A'level maths but a zillion years ago and honestly don't think I've ever come across this....

if you have a number to the power of a fraction, what does this mean? In this case, "25 to the power a half"? My gut feel is that it means square route, but DS insists it's not .... HELP please!

dh will be home in 15 mins - he will answer if you haven't one by then

psst - I gave up A level maths, so I'm no help

Thanks. Would have helped if I hadn't left the "maths" out of the title!!! Will repost if I don't get an answer. Can't believe I don't know this!!!!

personally I'm with your gut feeling - ie square root - but will get DH to post when home - meanwhile this should act as a shameless bump for you.

It is the square root - look here

I was thinking square root too - but I have absolutlt no idea why?

Hi there...just asked my daughter who is year 10. It is indeed the square root, if it makes sense this is the explanation from her maths file!!
A to the power one over "n" = "n" root of A

Hope that helps.

Powers work by diving or multiplying numbers by themselves, therefore the power of 1/2 means dividing it by itself.
If it was 25 to the power of 2, it would be 25 times 25, 25 to the power of 3 would be 25 times 25 times 25 and so on.
HTH

And crow about being right

thanks, you're right (so was I - yeah! ) finally found it on the net.
"When the power is a fraction the top of the fraction (numerator) is a power and the bottom of the fraction is a root."
That makes sense and I understand it.
Stand down Mr Indignatio, with thanks!

Not dividing by itself because that would be 1, but taking it back another step. Sorry

dh greeted with the question on walking through the door said square root - think the evidence is overwelming for your ds

Thanks all. Is it bad parenting to gloat about BEING RIGHT?!!!

power of a half is the same as the square root