What is the sum of √a and √b?

The sum of √a and √b is expressed as √a + √b. This represents the simple addition of the two square roots.

When you take the square root of a number, you are finding a value that, when multiplied by itself, would give you that number. Therefore, √a is the principal square root of the number a, and √b is the principal square root of the number b. Adding these two values together gives you the expression √a + √b.

Other expressions, such as √(a + b) or √(a x b), represent different mathematical operations. The square root of a sum (√(a + b)) is not the same as the sum of the square roots due to the properties of square roots and how they interact with addition and multiplication. The same applies to the product (D), where the square root operates differently compared to direct addition of the two individual square roots.

Thus, the answer captures the operation correctly, confirming that the sum of the square roots is simply the two square roots added together.