Short Answer

Absolute Value Rules for Even-Indexed Roots

An apprentice quality control technician at a manufacturing firm is simplifying a formula representing material stress tolerances: 486m1143m54\frac{\sqrt[4]{486m^{11}}}{\sqrt[4]{3m^5}}. After combining the terms into a single radical and simplifying, the technician obtains the expression 3m2m24{}3|m|\sqrt[4]{2m^2}. Recall the algebraic rule regarding even-indexed roots: Under what condition must absolute value bars be placed around a variable that is simplified out of a radical, and why are they required in this specific scenario?

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Updated 2026-05-31

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