A perfect square is a number that can be expressed as the product of two equal integers.
The only way to accurately calculate if a number is a perfect square is to find the factors. Before we go through the trouble of finding the factors, there is a quick trick you can use to help determine if you need even need to do the extra work.
Try these steps first:
Let's try it...
Step 1:
What is the last number of 331,716,538? It is this number: 331716538. The answer is 8. Is 8 in the list of numbers that are never perfect squares (2, 3, 7 or 8)?
Answer: YES, 8 is in the list of numbers that are never perfect squares. The number 331,716,538 is NOT a perfect square and we can stop here as there is not need to complete the rest of the steps.
Number | 331,716,536 | 331,716,537 | 331,716,539 | 331,716,540 |
Perfect Square? | no | no | no | no |