Tells us that the solutions to this equation are General quadratic equation like this, the quadratic formula The coefficient on the x to the zero term, or it's Squared term or the second degree term, b is theĬoefficient on the x term and then c, is, you could imagine,

Where a, b and c are- Well, a is the coefficient on the x So let's say I have an equationĬ is equal to 0. Solve for the roots, or the zeroes of quadratic equations. Show you what I'm talking about: it's the quadraticįormula. Things and not know where they came from. Prove it, because I don't want you to just remember Memorize it with the caveat that you also remember how to Videos, you know that I'm not a big fan of memorizing Really!Įxpose you to what is maybe one of at least the top five They got called 'Real' because they were not Imaginary. NOTE: The Real Numbers did not have a name before Imaginary Numbers were thought of. Meanwhile, try this to get your feet wet:

'What's that last bit, complex number and bi' you ask?! The term 'imaginary number' now means simply a complex number with a real part equal to 0, that is, a number of the form bi. The name 'imaginary number' was coined in the 17th century as a derogatory term, as such numbers were regarded by some as fictitious or useless. They have some properties that are different from than the numbers you have been working with up to now - and that is it. Well, it is the same with imaginary numbers.

It seemed weird at the time, but now you are comfortable with them. Remember when you first started learning fractions, you encountered some different rules for adding, like the common denominator thing, as well as some other differences than the whole numbers you were used to. They are just extensions of the real numbers, just like rational numbers (fractions) are an extension of the integers. Don't let the term 'imaginary' get in your way - there is nothing imaginary about them.

Khan academy quadratic equations