Read about Complex numbers first!

Algebra Level 2

True or False?

9 × 16 = 12 \large \sqrt{-9} \times \sqrt{-16} = -12

True False

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6 solutions

Rishabh Jain
Feb 16, 2016

9 = 3 i and 16 = 4 i \Large \sqrt{-9}=3i\text{ and } \sqrt{-16}=4i ( w h e r e i = 1 ) \\(where \Large ~i=\sqrt{-1}) Hence, 3 i × 4 i = 12 i 2 = 12 \Large 3i\times4i=12i^2=\huge\boxed{\color{#007fff}{-12}}


N O T E : a × b = a b is valid only when at least one of a and b is n o n n e g a t i v e . \boxed{\mathbb{\color{#302B94}{NOTE:-}}\\\sqrt a\times \sqrt b=\sqrt{ab} \text{ is valid only when}\\\text{ at least one of a and b is} 'non~ negative'.}

i is not a variable. It denotes an imaginary number. Treating it as a variable to derive conclusion is arbitrary and does not logically support its use as a variable. This is unsolvable and the answer is false, i.e., I am imagining two numbers and multiplying them by each other, what is the answer? To conclude the answer is 12, -12, or anything else is ridiculous. Even in your own equation, 3ix4i=12i^2, plug in any value for i - it doesn't equate.

Derek Smith - 5 years, 3 months ago

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See this .

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

Sure, you can say I is an imaginary non-existing number, but it is WIDELY accepted, and created for the sqrt(-1). That is what i equals in this case, and all other cases in the mathematics world. You can use i in this format. Sure, we made up i, but this is what it was made for. It is true.

Jesse Alford II - 5 years, 3 months ago

Seems like you haven't learnt complex numbers properly (no offense) .. See this ... And for the last sentence there exist i = 1 i=\sqrt{-1} which satisfies 3 i × 4 i = 12 i 2 3i\times 4i=12i^2 . And i i not a variable at all.. It has a fixed value of 1 \sqrt{-1} and saying that i × i = 1 i\times i=-1 has no mistakes !!

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

You can square both sides of the equation and end up with: -9x-16=144. True

Tom Schulenburg - 5 years, 3 months ago

3ix4i=12i^2 Let i=2 3(2)x4(2)=12(2)^2 6x8=12x4 48=48 I plugged in any value like you said and it equated

Dillon Howell - 5 years, 3 months ago

every one of your arguments applies to real, positive, numbers, only. You can't multiply two negatives and yield a positive. Well, unless, you are imagining things.

Derek Smith - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Whats so imaginative in complex numbers(They're well defined)? Check once again what you said - Two negative reals when multiplied always yield a positive!!

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

I agree with you. And further more, who is to say i equals 1 in order to have 1^2 equal 1.

Frances Durbin - 5 years, 3 months ago

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@Calvin Lin

Rishik Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

That is why I posted this. Many people have this misconception. Anyway, nice solution. Upvoted.

Rishik Jain - 5 years, 4 months ago

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There is no answer, square must be positive, - -=+ + += + if a square was negative, you would have to do +*- which would not be x squared

Aidan The Pro - 5 years, 3 months ago

Right..... BTW T H A N K S \large\mathbb{THANKS} .

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 4 months ago

that is incorrect as square root of a negative number are always not real ,only positive nos have real roots

Tarun Sethi - 5 years, 3 months ago

The ans is -12 Hence the statement is false?

Anik Mandal - 5 years, 3 months ago

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The statement is true.

Rishik Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

Hi, I am a potato

Pranav Jagadeesan - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Ha ha that's kind of funny

Pranav Jagadeesan - 5 years, 3 months ago

it is not a true square root

Alison Black - 5 years, 3 months ago

It would not be false because the statement does not say all the numbers you are working on?

Daniel Bertoglio - 5 years, 3 months ago

No this is incorrect. i is not a variable representing a real number. Because it is imaginary it cannot be defined as 1 or -1 . Stupid solution

Rudy Hatfield - 5 years, 3 months ago

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There is a world outside the world of real numbers called Complex Numbers

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

My biggest issue with this problem is that it is using imaginary numbers to express a set equation. The problem is laid out as a typical equation when it isn't. Imaginary numbers are just that, non-existant in the real world and serve almost no purpose.

Jon Guild - 5 years, 3 months ago

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I strongly object to that.Complex number serve a variety of purposes in daily life.

Abdur Rehman Zahid - 5 years, 2 months ago

the square root of I squared is a positive number = 1. the correct solution is +12

Matthew King - 5 years, 3 months ago

This is impossible, the square root of any negative number does not exist

Emily Beauchemin - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Technically, the square root of a negative number is i* sqrt(x). It might not show on some calculators though.

Thomas Nguyen - 1 year ago

This equation is almost intentionally abstruse and it's clearly written to show how knowledgeable the author is and how stupid the rest of us are. I got this app to reinforce what I already know not argue about imaginary numbers and made to be felt uneducated. Even reading through the comments I'm still not sure who's right... Uninstalled

Zach Bickett - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Grow a pair, dude. There will always be things you can't solve, and people who can solve them. If you're only here to "reinforce what you already know", then perhaps leaving is the right thing to do, as logically, you cannot know what you know unless you know the limits of it. And you cannot know the limits of it unless you find where you don't know things.

If you just want your ego stroked, stick to the "genius memes" on Facebook.

Keith Bowers - 5 years, 3 months ago

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You deserve a Oscar!! ;-)

Rishabh Jain - 5 years, 3 months ago

Sounds like you're the angry one dude lol. Jeez you angry nerd types are sensitive. Regardless the point of learning is concise, clear, and rational thought presented in an accessible way. This discussion has none of those qualities.

Zach Bickett - 5 years, 3 months ago

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@Zach Bickett Angry???

I'm not the one getting offended by feeling uneducated (your words). Grow up.

Keith Bowers - 5 years, 3 months ago
Jose Mathew
Feb 23, 2016

I have a doubt on this, I always had.

9 × 16 = ( ± 3 i ) 2 × ( ± 4 i ) 2 \sqrt{-9} \times \sqrt{-16}\ =\sqrt{(\pm3i)^2}\times \sqrt{(\pm 4 i)^2} = -12

But Similarly

9 × 16 = ( ± 3 i ) 2 × ( 4 i ) 2 \sqrt{-9} \times \sqrt{-16}\ =\sqrt{(\pm3i)^2}\times \sqrt{(\mp 4 i)^2} = 12

Is there any rule that forbids the second case ? If yes, what ?

this is false. U cannot square root a -ve number

Ben Hunter - 5 years, 3 months ago

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You can, but it would be imaginary. And i^2 equals -1

Bryan Frederick - 5 years, 3 months ago

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So yes, it doesn't exist

Ben Hunter - 5 years, 3 months ago

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@Ben Hunter It doesn't exist - to treat 'i' as a variable is arbitrary - it denotes that it is imaginary. i is not a variable.

Derek Smith - 5 years, 3 months ago

It an expression not an equation. ..so there is no plus or minus

Nkudu Victor - 5 years, 3 months ago
Daniel Schnoll
Feb 28, 2016

sqrt(-9)= 3i and sqrt(-16)= 4i

i i= -1 so the equation basically says 3 4*-1=-12

i does not = -1, it is the square root of -1

Tom Schulenburg - 5 years, 3 months ago
Ejaz Ahmed
Feb 28, 2016

3i×4i=12×i^2=12×(-1)=-12

Rishik Jain
Feb 16, 2016

You might want to have a look at this .

Obviously, this is not a "beginning"algebra question when people who clearly know their mathematical concepts do not agree. This was a poorly crafted question in my opinion and should be either revised, taken down, or pushed to a different level. You may disagree and that is okay, I just do not think the question is appropriately placed as a warm up when you are using theoretically possible expressions and imaginary numbers without denoting that in the expression to begin with. Often, a true of false response choice is not enough when there is more than one solution.

Alison Black - 5 years, 3 months ago

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Exactly! I understand the concept of complex numbers, but when I approach math problems I use logic. There is no logical explanation as to why we should be using imaginary numbers to justify this expression. If we were to happen upon something like this in the real world, there would already be an underlying factor that would tell us that we need to find all possible solutions, and if there's not then we would find the logical solution which in this case would be 12. That's the way this problem should be written.

Matt Ward - 5 years, 3 months ago
Oon Han
Jul 10, 2019

Here, a × b \sqrt{a} \times \sqrt{b} , where a a and b b are negative, is not equal to a b \sqrt{ab} ! 9 × 16 = 3 i × 4 i = 12 i 2 = 12 \begin{aligned} \sqrt{-9} \times \sqrt{-16} &= 3i \times 4i \\ &= 12i^2 \\ &= \boxed{-12} \end{aligned}

Therefore, the answer is True .

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