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Meaning of calculated answer containing letter 'i'?

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Hi there, I have a question regarding the meaning of the letter 'i' when it is displayed at the end of a sequence of numbers?

As the answer to a calculation is shown as '0.0000000000000000000000000000000000041541353399019418888888888889i', and I was wondering what this signified (an error of some sort)?

The values I entered to get to the above number are as follows:

sqrt((1.17572x10^-48)^2-(3.0*10^8)^2x(1.246240602x10^-27)^2)/(3.0*10^8)^2

I would greatly appreciate it if someone could explain to me what the letter 'i' represents.

Thanks in advance.
 Mar 23, 2013

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i means that you have square rooted a negative quantity - impossible in real arithmetic hence the i = sqr(-1)
If the vlaue of the expression inside the sqr is -p where p is positive, then it should give (sqr(p))i .. the cal algortithm would have been written to do this.
I haven't checked your calcaultion but that's probably the explanation.
Phil
 Mar 24, 2013

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