What is

20 to the 1/2 power?

How do you figure it out?

That would be the square root of 20, which is also 2 times the square root of 5. Use a calculator to get the value, which is about 4.47. A log table or slide rule could also be used.

To calculate 20 to the power of 1/2, you need to find the square root of 20. There are a few ways to figure this out:

1. Calculator: You can use a calculator with square root functionality. Simply input the number 20, press the square root button (√), and you will get the result. In this case, the square root of 20 is approximately 4.47.

2. Mental Math: If you are comfortable with mental math, you can estimate the value of the square root. In the case of 20, you can assess that it falls between the perfect squares of 16 (4^2) and 25 (5^2). Therefore, the square root of 20 is between 4 and 5. A more precise estimate would be around 4.5.

3. Log Table or Slide Rule: In the past, logarithm tables or slide rules were commonly used to perform calculations. You could look up the logarithm of 20 in a logarithm table, divide it by 2, and then find the corresponding antilogarithm to obtain the result. Similarly, a slide rule allows you to perform calculations involving logarithms and exponentiation.

However, using a calculator is the most efficient and accurate method for calculating the square root of 20.