What is the fourth root of 16?

• A. 4
• B. 2
• C. 1
• D. 8

Answer: (B)

To find the fourth root of 16, you need to determine a number that, when multiplied by itself four times, equals 16. In mathematical terms, if ( x ) is the fourth root of 16, then the equation can be written as ( x^4 = 16 ).

We can examine the powers of 2 to find this value, since 16 can be broken down into powers of 2:

1. ( 2^1 = 2 )

2. ( 2^2 = 4 )

3. ( 2^3 = 8 )

4. ( 2^4 = 16 )

From this breakdown, we see that ( 2 ) raised to the power of 4 gives us 16. Therefore, the fourth root of 16 is 2, since ( 2 \times 2 \times 2 \times 2 = 16 ).

Thus, the answer of 2 is correct because it captures the fundamental concept of what a root is: a number that, when raised to the specified exponent (in this case, 4), will yield the original number (16).