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You must be careful when multiplying square roots of negative numbers; the same rules that apply for normal square roots do NOT apply. I will use shorthand root(x) for the square root of x. For example, root(2) x root(3) = root(2 x 3) = root(6), but you can't do this with square roots of negative numbers. For example:
root(-2) x root(-3) = i root(2) x i root(3) = i2 root(6) = (-1) root(6) = -root(6).
"i" is the imaginary unit.
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What type of problems have imaginary numbers?
Imaginary numbers are only ever used when you are using the square roots of negative numbers. The square root of -1 is i. You may find imaginary numbers when you are finding roots of equations.
Can a square root ever be negative?
Yes.
What is a negative multiplied by a negative?
negative*negative=positive negative/positive=negative negative\negative=positve negative-positive=change the sign to a plus and then change the number after the sign and get your answer negative +positive=which ever numbr is bigger minus positive+positive=positive
What is the Square root of negative 400?
- (400^.5) = -(20) = -20 you just do the square root of the number, and attach the negative in front. and if you ever include the negative inside the square root, you'd have to deal with i, which is an imaginary number that signifies the square root of negative 1.
Where did the imaginary numbers come from?
Imaginary numbers are numbers whose square is a negative number. They arose as a means of working with square roots of negative numbers; in fact, the first known mention of a square root of a negative number is a very brief one from a work called Stereometrica. It was written in the 1st century CE by a Greek mathematician, Heron of Alexandria. Imaginary (and thus, complex) numbers were not ever accepted widely, though, until the 1700s, because of the work of Euler and Gauss.
