My Algebra 2 & Trig students recently took a quiz about complex numbers and quadratic equations. One of the questions was to evaluate $$(1+2i)^2.$$ The answer turns out to be $-3+4i.$ Later on the quiz, I asked them to solve the equation $$x^2+x+(1-i).$$ Part of applying the quadratic formula to it is evaluating $\sqrt{-3+4i}$. That can be a difficult square root to find if you haven't seen it before. Maybe you we have seen it before... The students handeled the equation very well. The students were glad for the challenge and not frustrated that I had not adequately prepared them for that problem. One student even gave me a high five for this "devious" ploy. Check back soon for more teaching adventures!
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About Me
I started this blog to share my transformation from math nerd to math nerd who loves to share math with young people. I teach high school in Hanoi, Vietnam. Your comments are always welcome. Archives
May 2021
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