A student argues: *'Since , taking square roots gives .'* What is wrong with this argument?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: E. The inequality is also true when

  1. Step 1: means , so or .
  2. Step 2: For example has but is false, so the student's conclusion is incomplete.
Answer
The inequality is also true when .
Why not the others: Taking square roots is valid but gives . The inequality does not mean ( has ), no sign needs reversing when taking roots, and the inequality has many solutions (for example and ).

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