Table of contents
- 0. Review of College Algebra4h 43m
- 1. Measuring Angles39m
- 2. Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles2h 5m
- 3. Unit Circle1h 19m
- 4. Graphing Trigonometric Functions1h 19m
- 5. Inverse Trigonometric Functions and Basic Trigonometric Equations1h 41m
- 6. Trigonometric Identities and More Equations2h 34m
- 7. Non-Right Triangles1h 38m
- 8. Vectors2h 25m
- 9. Polar Equations2h 5m
- 10. Parametric Equations1h 6m
- 11. Graphing Complex Numbers1h 7m
11. Graphing Complex Numbers
Polar Form of Complex Numbers
Problem 11b
Textbook Question
Textbook QuestionIn Exercises 11–14, plot each complex number. Then write the complex number in polar form. You may express the argument in degrees or radians. 1 − i
![](/channels/images/assetPage/verifiedSolution.png)
This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above
Video duration:
4mPlay a video:
Was this helpful?
Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Complex Numbers
Complex numbers are numbers that have a real part and an imaginary part, expressed in the form a + bi, where 'a' is the real part and 'b' is the coefficient of the imaginary unit 'i', which is defined as the square root of -1. In the given question, the complex number 1 - i has a real part of 1 and an imaginary part of -1.
Recommended video:
Dividing Complex Numbers
Polar Form of Complex Numbers
The polar form of a complex number expresses it in terms of its magnitude (or modulus) and angle (or argument). It is represented as r(cos θ + i sin θ) or r e^(iθ), where r is the distance from the origin to the point in the complex plane, and θ is the angle formed with the positive real axis. This form is particularly useful for multiplication and division of complex numbers.
Recommended video:
Complex Numbers In Polar Form
Magnitude and Argument
The magnitude of a complex number is calculated using the formula r = √(a² + b²), which gives the distance from the origin to the point (a, b) in the complex plane. The argument, θ, is the angle formed with the positive real axis, found using θ = arctan(b/a). This angle can be expressed in degrees or radians, depending on the context.
Recommended video:
Finding Magnitude of a Vector
Watch next
Master Complex Numbers In Polar Form with a bite sized video explanation from Nick Kaneko
Start learningRelated Videos
Related Practice