To determine which of the statements about the square roots is true, let's evaluate each comparison using rational approximations.
-
\( \sqrt{71} > \sqrt{61} \):
- The decimal approximations are:
- \( \sqrt{71} \approx 8.426 \)
- \( \sqrt{61} \approx 7.810 \)
- Since \( 8.426 > 7.810 \), this statement is true.
- The decimal approximations are:
-
\( \sqrt{71} < \sqrt{61} \):
- This is the opposite of the first statement. Since we established that \( \sqrt{71} > \sqrt{61} \), this one is false.
-
\( \sqrt{81} > 9 \):
- We know \( \sqrt{81} = 9 \).
- Therefore, \( 9 > 9 \) is false.
-
\( \sqrt{81} < 9 \):
- Again, since \( \sqrt{81} = 9 \), this means \( 9 < 9 \) is false.
Based on this analysis, the true statement is:
\[ \sqrt{71} > \sqrt{61} \]