Simplifying square roots

To simplify a square root: make the number inside the square root as small as possible (but still a whole number):

Here is an example:

Example: simplify √12

12 is 4 times 3:

√12 = √ (4 * 3)

Use the rule:

√ (4 * 3) = √4 * √3

And the square root of 4 is 2:

√4 * √3 = 2√3

So √12 is simpler as 2√3