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The value of √-4 and not -2 because

User JacobFischer
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2 Answers

16 votes
16 votes

Answer:

Explanation:

The value of √-4 and not -2 because

-2 * -2 = + 4.

Also there is no real number whose square is a negative.

User Haxor
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11 votes
11 votes

Hi Student!

This question can seem quite complex but it has a simple explanation. Just imagine, what is the purpose of a square root? It shows what can by multiplied against itself and produce the number that is in the square root. That is why when we take the square root of 4 we get 2 and -2 because they both produce the number 4 when we square them. Whenever we square a number, no matter if it's positive or negative, the answer will always be positive. This is because in order to get a negative number only one can be negative to overcome the positive otherwise it's just a double negative.

Therefore, there is a solution to the question of what is the square root of -4. What we do is practically take out the negative because the square root of -1 is equal to i. So we take the following steps

Separate the square root


  • √(-4)

  • √(4)*√(-1)

Simplify the expression


  • √(4)*i

  • 2*i

Looking at what we have done, we see that although the explanation behind it might seem complex the actual solving portion isn't too hard when explained. Therefore, the solution to the square root of -4 would be 2i.

User Andrew Bennet
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