Solve for xx. Express your answer in simplest radical form if necessary.

Question

x^2 = 81

Answer 1

To solve the equation \( x^2 = 81 \), we take the square root of both sides. Recall that when taking the square root, we consider both the positive and negative roots:

\[ x = \pm \sqrt{81} \]

Calculating the square root of 81 gives:

\[ \sqrt{81} = 9 \]

Thus, we have:

\[ x = 9 \quad \text{or} \quad x = -9 \]

Therefore, the solutions are:

\[ x = 9 \quad \text{and} \quad x = -9 \]