Which term is defined as a number left in square root form?

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Multiple Choice

Which term is defined as a number left in square root form?

Explanation:
A surd is a number that stays under a square root sign and cannot be simplified away to a whole number. That’s exactly what “a number left in square root form” describes: the radical remains because it can’t be replaced by a rational value. For example, sqrt(2) cannot be simplified, so it’s a surd. In contrast, absolute value measures distance on the number line, the discriminant is a part of the quadratic formula, and a polynomial is a general algebraic expression with powers—none of these describe a number that must stay under a square root.

A surd is a number that stays under a square root sign and cannot be simplified away to a whole number. That’s exactly what “a number left in square root form” describes: the radical remains because it can’t be replaced by a rational value. For example, sqrt(2) cannot be simplified, so it’s a surd. In contrast, absolute value measures distance on the number line, the discriminant is a part of the quadratic formula, and a polynomial is a general algebraic expression with powers—none of these describe a number that must stay under a square root.

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