Explanation

To solve the equation:

$$x^2 + 16 = 0$$

Step 1: Isolate x^2

$$x^2 = -16$$

Step 2: Take the square root of both sides

$$x = pm sqrt{-16}$$

Since $sqrt{-16}$

involves the square root of a negative number, we use imaginary numbers:

$$x = pm 4i$$x=±4i