How do you simplify 74?

1 Answer
Apr 19, 2016

You can't.

Explanation:

When we simplify radicals (anything with a root sign), we try to only write only whole numbers (no fractions, no long decimals). For this to happen, the number under the root sign has to have a factor which is a square number. Examples include:
50, which has a factor 25, which is 52
162, which has a factor 81, which is 92

Unfortunately, 74 doesn't have a factor which is a square number (74's factors are 2 and 37), so we can't proceed with simplifying it.