Taking the square root of both sides in an equation is way of solving some quadratic equations. This method gives two solutions, a negative and a positive. For example, the equation x^2=16 has the solutions x=-4 and x=4 since (-4)^2=16 and 4^2=16. However, when solving an equation this way, don't forget to add the negative solution by adding ± to the solution. The solutions can be written as x=±4.