Imtiaz Brasile

As a math tutor, I always tell my students that understanding how to simplify a square root is more important than just the answer. Let's break down √27. Look for the largest perfect square that is a factor of 27. The perfect squares are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25... 9 is a factor of 27 (9 × 3 = 27). So, we can rewrite the problem: √27 = √(9 × 3). The square root of 9 is 3, so we can take that out of the radical, leaving us with 3√3. This is the simplest radical form. Remember, the goal of simplification is to get the number under the radical as small as possible. If you're using a calculator, you'll just get the decimal: about 5.1961524227. But for most algebra work, leaving it as 3√3 is the correct and preferred answer.