Is 28 a perfect square? This question often arises when we encounter numbers and their properties. To answer this, we need to understand what a perfect square is and how it applies to the number 28.
A perfect square is a number that can be expressed as the square of an integer. In other words, if a number can be written as the product of two equal integers, it is considered a perfect square. For example, 4 is a perfect square because it can be written as 2 multiplied by 2 (2^2), and 9 is a perfect square because it can be written as 3 multiplied by 3 (3^2).
Now, let’s examine the number 28. To determine if it is a perfect square, we need to find two equal integers whose product is 28. By doing so, we can either confirm that 28 is a perfect square or conclude that it is not.
To simplify the process, we can list the factors of 28 and check if any of them can be squared to give us 28. The factors of 28 are 1, 2, 4, 7, 14, and 28. Among these factors, 2 and 14 can be squared to give us 4 and 196, respectively. However, neither of these squares equals 28. Therefore, we can conclude that 28 is not a perfect square.
In conclusion, the number 28 is not a perfect square because it cannot be expressed as the square of an integer. Understanding the properties of perfect squares helps us recognize and distinguish between numbers that are and are not perfect squares.
