What is meant by the root of a number?

• A. The product obtained by multiplying the number by itself.
• B. The number of times the base must be multiplied by itself to obtain the number.
• C. One of two or more equal numbers that multiply to the original number.
• D. The sum of the digits of the number.

Answer: (C)

The root of a number is a value that, when multiplied by itself, equals the original number. This is why the root is described as one of two equal factors that multiply to the original. For example, the square root of 16 is 4 because 4 × 4 = 16. The option that captures this idea says you’re taking a number that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. The other ideas describe different concepts: the square of a number (A), the exponent or how many times you multiply (B), or the sum of digits (D). The root specifically centers on the multiplicative relationship of the root with itself to recover the original value.