Square roots of 1 to 200
The rounded decimal and the exact simplified surd, side by side: √50 is 7.071068 and also 5√2.
The fourteen perfect squares
Only fourteen of them come out whole below 200. The other 186 are irrational — their decimals never end.
Roots that simplify
These have a square factor to pull out. On an exam this form, not 7.07, is the right answer.
How the surd is simplified
Pull out the largest square factor. Since 50 = 25 × 2, the root of 25 comes out as 5 and the 2 stays behind: 5√2.
From 1 to 200
How to read this
- The decimal is rounded; the surd form is the exact value.
- Pulling out a square factor simplifies the surd — √50 = 5√2.
- If the number is not a perfect square, the decimal never ends (irrational).
- Knowing which two integers it sits between is enough to estimate in your head.
Frequently asked questions
Q. Why is √50 equal to 5√2?
Split 50 into 25 × 2. Since 25 is a square, its root 5 comes out; the 2 has no square factor left, so it stays under the sign.
Q. Can I just use the decimal?
It depends. For measuring, 7.07 is easier; in a maths answer the unrounded 5√2 is what counts as correct.
Q. What does irrational mean?
It cannot be written as a fraction, and its decimal neither ends nor repeats. Any square root of a non-square is like this.
Q. How do I estimate one in my head?
Find the nearest perfect square. For √50, 49 is 7², so the answer is just above 7.
Q. Why stop at 200?
Because the numbers people look up are mostly two-digit, or the ones from the table like 100, 144 and 169.