How do you simplify #sqrt(5x - 3)^2#?

1 Answer
Jun 28, 2015

#(sqrt(5x-3))^2 = 5x-3#

Explanation:

Squaring a positive value and taking the (positive) square root are inverse operations.

Note however that
#color(white)("XXXX")##sqrt((5x-3)^2)# is not necessarily equal to #(5x-3)#

#color(white)("XXXX")##sqrt((5x-3)^2) = abs(5x-3)#

One other possibility that might have been intended is
#color(white)("XXXX")##sqrt(5x-(3^2))#
but this has no interesting simplifications other than
#color(white)("XXXX")##sqrt(5x-9)#