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 1
Textbook Question
In Exercises 1–10, plot each complex number and find its absolute value. z = 4i
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1
Step 1: Identify the complex number given, which is $z = 4i$. This means the real part is 0 and the imaginary part is 4.
Step 2: Plot the complex number on the complex plane. The horizontal axis represents the real part, and the vertical axis represents the imaginary part. Since the real part is 0, the point is on the imaginary axis at $4i$.
Step 3: To find the absolute value of a complex number $z = a + bi$, use the formula $|z| = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$. Here, $a = 0$ and $b = 4$.
Step 4: Substitute the values into the formula: $|z| = \sqrt{0^2 + 4^2}$.
Step 5: Simplify the expression under the square root to find the absolute value.
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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 z = a + bi, where 'a' is the real part and 'b' is the coefficient of the imaginary unit 'i'. In the given example, z = 4i, the real part is 0 and the imaginary part is 4, indicating that the number lies purely on the imaginary axis in the complex plane.
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Plotting Complex Numbers
To plot a complex number on the complex plane, the horizontal axis represents the real part, while the vertical axis represents the imaginary part. For z = 4i, the point is plotted at (0, 4), which shows that it is located 4 units above the origin along the imaginary axis, illustrating the geometric representation of complex numbers.
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Absolute Value of Complex Numbers
The absolute value (or modulus) of a complex number z = a + bi is calculated using the formula |z| = √(a² + b²). This value represents the distance from the origin to the point (a, b) in the complex plane. For z = 4i, the absolute value is |4i| = √(0² + 4²) = 4, indicating that the distance from the origin to the point (0, 4) is 4 units.
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