Help!!! i dont get this lesson!?

Question

This is just the firs step to each problem. And this part I don't get.

Are they real numbers or Imaginary?

help me plz!

1.) the square root of 3

2.) the square root of 16

3.) -8

4.) the square root of -16

5.) .5

6.) -11/5

7.) the square root of 100

8.) the negative square root of 3

9.) the negative square root of 1

10.) the square root of 0

Answer 1

all numbers are real, unless they involve taking the sq root of a negative number (ex: -5). even the sq root of 0 exists.

you cannot take the square root of a negative number because in order to get a negative number, you must multiply a positive and a negative. however, the answer to a sq root must be a single number. therefore, these numbers are called imaginary.

you can, however, take a negative sq root, as long as the number is positive. this just means that you take the root of the (positive) number, and multiply that answer by negative one.

hope this helps.