I teach physics and 2nd year algebra to high school juniors and seniors.
Very soon we will be encountering imaginary numbers in the algebra class.
Of course, the inevitable questions "Why do we have to do this?", "Who
invented this?", and "Why will I ever need this?" will rear their ugly
little heads!
My undergraduate degree is in physics and I **VAGUELY** remember doing a
little something with imaginary numbers in an optics class and/or e-mag.
However, it's not enough of a memory to help me out! If you can help me
out, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. The teacher's edition of
our text points out, oh so helpfully, that imaginary numbers "have many
important applications, particularly in engineering and electronics."
I'm sure some of the kids won't be satisfied with that statement and
would instead prefer to at least HEAR of a few of the particulars. (As a
high school student, I never CARED what they could be used for--it was
just a fun puzzle to solve!)
Thanks in advance!
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Jennifer Seckinger "Everything should be made as simple as
Evansville, IN possible, but not simpler."
jsecking.ucs@smtp.usi.edu --Albert Einstein