document.write( "Question 1133226: what is the correct solution?\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "√-80 (square root of -80)\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "a.i√-80
\n" ); document.write( "b.-4i√5
\n" ); document.write( "c.-80i
\n" ); document.write( "d.4i√5\r
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "*√ (symbol of a square root)
\n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #750406 by greenestamps(13198)\"\" \"About 
You can put this solution on YOUR website!


\n" ); document.write( "

\n" ); document.write( "Answer d.

\n" ); document.write( "Note that both answer b and answer d, when squared, give the same result of -80. However, just as 2 and -2 squared both give the result 4 but sqrt(4) = 2 and not -2, the square root of -80 is 4i*sqrt(5) and not -4i*sqrt(5).

\n" ); document.write( "----------------------------------------------------------------

\n" ); document.write( "Added after reading the response by tutor @ikleyn....

\n" ); document.write( "-----------------------------------------------------------------

\n" ); document.write( "It is true that, in the complex domain, every number, real or complex, has two square roots. So the square root of 4 has two square roots, 2 and -2; and the square root of -80 has two square roots, 4i*sqrt(5) and -4i*sqrt(5).

\n" ); document.write( "But when you write the number sqrt(4), or sqrt(-80), for use in a calculation, it has to have a single value.

\n" ); document.write( "A high school student who wrote as an answer on a test that the square root of 4 is -2 would be marked wrong; and if he used -2 as the value of the square root of 4 in a calculation, he would end up with the wrong answer.

\n" ); document.write( "In this problem, two of the answer choices are 4i*sqrt(5) and -4i*sqrt(5). Since it would be presumed that these are answer choices on a test with only one correct answer, the answer should be d only.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" );