Square Root Calculator
Calculate the exact square root of any number. Automatically identifies perfect squares and handles negative roots (imaginary numbers).
Square Root Calculator
Enter any positive or negative number.
√
Result
12
144 is a Perfect Square!
Table of Contents
Understanding Square Roots
What does taking the square root mean?
The Square Root of a number x is a number y such that y² = x. In simpler terms, it's the number that, when multiplied by itself, gives you the original number.
Perfect Squares
A perfect square is an integer whose square root is also a whole integer. For example, 16 is a perfect square because √16 = 4.
Other examples: 1, 4, 9, 25, 36, 49...
Negative Numbers
Because multiplying any real number by itself always results in a positive number (e.g. -3 × -3 = 9), negative numbers do not have real square roots. Instead, their roots are imaginary numbers, denoted by i.
Common Perfect Squares
Click to instantly calculate the root.
Frequently Asked Questions
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