Precalculus quadratic equations with complex solutions worksheet
A quadratic with a negative discriminant has no real solutions, but it has two complex ones, and they are always a pair a + bi and a - bi. The square root of a negative number is i times the square root of the positive one: the square root of -36 is 6i.
Select your difficulty
Pick more than one for a sheet that mixes them.
Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep
Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Quadratics with Complex SolutionsDate Period Solve each equation.
Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep |
Sigma Prep · sigmaprep.io/worksheets Name Quadratics with Complex SolutionsAnswer keyVersion 1Date Period Solve each equation.
Free math worksheets at sigmaprep.io/worksheets© 2026 Sigma Prep |
How to do these
- The discriminant is 16 - 52 = -36, so the solutions are complex.
- x = (4 plus or minus the square root of -36) / 2 = (4 plus or minus 6i) / 2.
The answer is .
Where students go wrong
Stopping at "no solution". That is right for the real numbers, but once i is available every quadratic has two solutions. The other slip is taking the square root of -36 as -6.
Also called complex solutions, imaginary solutions, quadratic formula complex roots or negative discriminant.
What you can put on this worksheet
- By square roots
- →
- By the quadratic formula
- →
- By completing the square
- Solve by completing the square: →