What ia the square root of -55?

Answer 1

There is not square root of a negative number as any two identical numbers (either negative or positive) multiplied together result in a positive number. _______________________ In many cases, mathematics describes real concepts. And even though conventional math doesn't have a place for the square root of a negative number, "complex arithmetic" does.

To get the square root of a negative number, we factor the negative number - in this case, -55 - into 55 * -1, or 55 times negative 1. We can take the square root of the positive number 55 easily; it is ... (looking for my calculator....) 7.41619849.

== == The square root of the other factor (-1) doesn't really exist, so we call it "i", the "imaginary number". So i2 = -1. When the concept was first developed back in the 1500's, the idea of "imaginary" numbers was strictly a game, a puzzle, something to play with. Most of mathematics is that way. However, it is a curious fact that "useless" information turns out to be very useful indeed, as soon as we figure out where. Complex arithmetic and imaginary numbers turn out to be extraordinarily useful for describing electromagnetic waves and radiation.