What is a radical, and how is it expressed mathematically?

Radicals are mathematical expressions that involve roots, such as square roots, cube roots, and so on. The general form for expressing a radical mathematically is √x for the square root of x, where 'x' is the radicand. For example, the expression √16 equals 4 since 4 multiplied by 4 equals 16, while the cube root of x, expressed as ∛x, represents a number that, when multiplied by itself three times, gives x. In real-world scenarios, radicals can be crucial in fields such as engineering and physics, where they often emerge in calculations involving distances, areas, and volumes. For instance, when determining the diagonal of a square with a side length 'a,' you can use the radical expression √(2a²) to find the diagonal length, which ensures you’re calculating things accurately in practical applications like construction or design!