Math
Finding the side of a square
Definition
Taking the square root of a number means giving SQRT that number.
Syntax
=SQRT(number)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
number |
The cell whose square root you need, such as an area in B2. |
Worked example
A patio sheet stores square areas in B2:B4. The side length is the square root of the area.
| A: Pad | B: Area |
|---|---|
| P1 | 49 |
| P2 | 36 |
| P3 | 25 |
Formula: =SQRT(B2)
Result: 7. 7 × 7 equals 49, so the side is 7.
Practice
Cell A2 holds 81. In B2, write a formula that returns the square root of A2.
- In B2, write a SQRT formula for A2.
- B2 should show the square root of A2.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =SQRT(A2) in B2.
A2 is 81, so the square root is 9.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
B2 uses SQRT.
B2 now shows 9.
The next lesson is Finding a value under a header.
Related functions
SQRT is the function that returns that square root.
Common mistake
Squaring instead of taking the root, as in =POWER(B2,2): 49 squared is 2401, not the side 7.