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Dec 5, 2025

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4 pages

Understanding Imaginary Numbers: Algebra 2 Chapter 4

Ali

@alisonborowski

Dive into the world of complex numbers and advanced quadratic... Show more

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Imaginary & Complex Numbers

Ever wondered what happens when you take the square root of a negative number? That's where imaginary numbers come in! An imaginary number has the form i, where i = √(-1) and i² = -1. This leads to complex numbers written as a + bi, combining real and imaginary parts.

When simplifying expressions with imaginary numbers, treat i like a variable. For example, √(-28) simplifies to √(28) · √(-1) = √(28) · i = 2√7i. Similarly, operations like √(-25) give us 5i.

For adding complex numbers, combine the real and imaginary parts separately: $3 + 5i$ + $2 - 4i$ = 5 + i. When multiplying, use the distributive property and remember to substitute i² = -1 whenever it appears: $3 + 5i$ $2 - 4i$ = 6 - 12i + 10i - 20i² = 6 - 2i + 20 = 26 - 2i.

Math Hack: When working with powers of i, use the pattern: i¹ = i, i² = -1, i³ = -i, i⁴ = 1. The pattern repeats every 4 powers, making calculations like i⁵ simple: i⁵ = i¹ = i.

Solving Quadratics by Square Roots & Graphing

Ready to unlock the power of the square root method? When solving quadratics, you can isolate x² and then take the square root of both sides—just remember to include both positive and negative solutions!

For example, with 4x² = 36: divide by 4 to get x² = 9, then x = ±3. For 2 $x+3$ ² = 24, isolate $x+3$ ² = 12, take the square root to get x+3 = ±2√3, and solve for x = -3 ± 2√3.

Graphing offers another approach to quadratics. First, rearrange the equation to standard form (= 0) and enter it into your calculator. The x-intercepts $where the graph crosses the x-axis$ are your solutions! For instance, x² + x - 6 = 0 has solutions x = -3 and x = 2.

Remember: Not all quadratics have real solutions! If a quadratic like 2x² + 11x + 17 = 0 has no x-intercepts on its graph, it means the solutions are imaginary numbers.

Solving Quadratics by Factoring

Factoring lets you break down quadratic equations into simpler expressions. Once you've factored a quadratic, the zero product property helps you find solutions—if a product equals zero, at least one factor must be zero.

Start by writing your equation in standard form $ax² + bx + c = 0$ . Then factor it into the product of two binomials. For example, with 5x² + 34x + 24 = 0, we factor to get $5x + 4$ $x + 6$ = 0.

Set each factor equal to zero and solve: 5x + 4 = 0 gives x = -⁴⁄₅, and x + 6 = 0 gives x = -6. These are your solutions! For special cases like x² - 10x + 25 = 0, which factors to $x - 5$ $x - 5$ = 0, you'll get a repeated solution: x = 5.

Quick Tip: If your equation has a common factor like in 5a² - 20a = 0, factor it out first: 5a $a - 4$ = 0. This gives you solutions a = 0 and a = 4.

Perfect Square Trinomials & Completing the Square

Perfect square trinomials follow the pattern $x + n$ ² = x² + 2nx + n². Recognizing these patterns helps you solve equations more quickly! For x² + 14x + 49 = 64, we identify that x² + 14x + 49 = $x + 7$ ², leading to $x + 7$ ² = 64, and ultimately x = 1 or x = -15.

When an expression isn't already a perfect square, you can use completing the square. The process works by adding the right value to create a perfect square trinomial. For x² + 4x - 12 = 0, add 12 to both sides, then add 4 to complete the square: $x + 2$ ² = 16. This gives you x = -6 or x = 2.

To find what value makes an expression a perfect square, take half the coefficient of x and square it. For x² + 8x + c, half of 8 is 4, and 4² = 16, so c = 16 would make a perfect square trinomial $x + 4$ ².

Pro Strategy: When completing the square with a coefficient other than 1 $like 2x² + 11x + 15 = 0$ , first divide all terms by the leading coefficient to get x² + (11/2)x + 15/2 = 0. This makes the process much more manageable!

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Algebra 2

•

Dec 5, 2025

•

4 pages

Understanding Imaginary Numbers: Algebra 2 Chapter 4

Ali

@alisonborowski

Dive into the world of complex numbers and advanced quadratic equations! This guide breaks down imaginary numbers, solving quadratics through multiple methods, and working with perfect square trinomials—essential concepts that will help you solve more advanced math problems.

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Imaginary & Complex Numbers

Math Hack: When working with powers of i, use the pattern: i¹ = i, i² = -1, i³ = -i, i⁴ = 1. The pattern repeats every 4 powers, making calculations like i⁵ simple: i⁵ = i¹ = i.

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Solving Quadratics by Square Roots & Graphing

For example, with 4x² = 36: divide by 4 to get x² = 9, then x = ±3. For 2 $x+3$ ² = 24, isolate $x+3$ ² = 12, take the square root to get x+3 = ±2√3, and solve for x = -3 ± 2√3.

Remember: Not all quadratics have real solutions! If a quadratic like 2x² + 11x + 17 = 0 has no x-intercepts on its graph, it means the solutions are imaginary numbers.

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Solving Quadratics by Factoring

Start by writing your equation in standard form $ax² + bx + c = 0$ . Then factor it into the product of two binomials. For example, with 5x² + 34x + 24 = 0, we factor to get $5x + 4$ $x + 6$ = 0.

Quick Tip: If your equation has a common factor like in 5a² - 20a = 0, factor it out first: 5a $a - 4$ = 0. This gives you solutions a = 0 and a = 4.

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Perfect Square Trinomials & Completing the Square

Pro Strategy: When completing the square with a coefficient other than 1 $like 2x² + 11x + 15 = 0$ , first divide all terms by the leading coefficient to get x² + (11/2)x + 15/2 = 0. This makes the process much more manageable!