Simplify (-i sqrt 3 )^2 . how do you simplify this?

^2

1 Answer
Apr 2, 2018

-3

Explanation:

We can write the original function in its expanded form as shown

(-isqrt(3))(-isqrt(3))

We treat i like a variable, and since a negative times a negative equals a positive, and a square root times a square root of the same number is simply that number, we get the below equation

i^2 * 3

Remember that i = sqrt(-1) and operating with the square root rule shown above, we can simplify as shown below

-1 * 3

Now it's a matter of arithmetic

-3

And there's your answer :)