• 245 is a composite number.
• Prime factorization: 245 = 5 x 7 x 7, which can be written 245 = 5 x (7^2)
• The exponents in the prime factorization are 1 and 2. Adding one  to each and multiplying we get (1 + 1)(2 + 1) = 2 x 3 = 6. Therefore 245 has 6 factors.
• Factors of 245: 1, 5, 7, 35, 49, 245
• Factor pairs: 245 = 1 x 245, 5 x 49, or 7 x 35
• Taking the factor pair with the largest square number factor, we get √245 = (√5)(√49) = 7√5 ≈ 15.652

 

I was surprised when I noticed that the square roots of these 4 consecutive numbers – 242, 243, 244, and 245 could all be simplified.

The square root of a whole number can only be simplified if that whole number has a square number as one of its factors. All four of these numbers meet that condition, and they are the first four consecutive numbers to do so.

For numbers less than or equal to 240, there are only 3 sets of 3 consecutive square roots that can be simplified.

• √48 = 4√3
• √49 = 7
• √50 = 5√2

• √98 = 7√2
• √99 = 3√11
• √100 = 10

• √124 = 2√31
• √125 = 5√5
• √126 = 3√14

242, 243, 244, and 245 also have another distinction. They each have exactly 6 factors and are the smallest consecutive four numbers to have the same number of factors.