Complex numbers

Study Development Worksheet

Example
1. Convert z=3+ 4 i into Polar form.
π
2. Convert z=5 e i 2 into Cartesian form.

Answer

1. We want to write z=x +iy in the form z=r e i θ, where r =√ x 2 + y 2 and θ=tan
−1
( yx ).
We first find r :
r =√ 3 2+ 42 =√ 9+16= √ 25=5
Note: -5 is also an answer to √ 25, however we usually write r to be positive as it is
representing a length.
Then, we find θ :

θ=tan−1 ( 43 )=0.92729 c

Note: We always work in Radians when writing complex numbers in Polar form.
Now, we plug in these values to get: z=r e i θ=5 e 0.92729i.
2.

The Cartesian form ( z=x +iy ¿ is found using the formulae:

x=r cos (θ )
y=r sin ( θ )

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 Complex numbers
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So, we have x=5 cos ( π2 )=0, and y=5 sin ( π2 )=5, which means that we have z=5 i.
Questions
1. Convert the following to Polar form:
a. z=3+i
b. z=4+ 4 i
c. z=6+ 2 √ 3 i
2. Convert the following to Cartesian form:
iπ
a. z=4 e 3
iπ
b. z=2 e 4
i4π
c. z=√ 3 e 3

3. Find the modulus and the argument of the following:

a. z=5 e 2 i
b. z=√ 3+i
c. z=9+ 9 i
d. z=3+5 i .
4. Calculate the following:
a. ( 2+2 i )( 7+ 4 i )
b. ( 6+ 6i )10
5
c. ( 4 √ 3+4 i )
7
d. ( 10 √ 3+30 i )

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Answers
1. We convert the values from the form z=x +iy into the form z=r e i θ using r =√ x 2 + y 2 and

θ=tan−1 ( yx ).
a. r =√ 3 2+12 =√ 10

θ=tan−1 ( 13 )=0.32175 c

Therefore, z=√ 10 e 0.32175i .

b. r =√ 42 + 42= √ 32=4 √ 2

θ=tan−1 ( 44 )= π4
iπ
Therefore, z=4 √ 2 e 4 .

√ 2
c. r = ( 2 √ 3 ) +6 2=√ 12+36=√ 48=4 √ 3

θ=tan
−1
( 2 √6 3 )= π6
iπ
Therefore, z=4 √ 3 e 6 .

2. We convert the values from the form z=r e i θ into the form z=x +iy using x=r cos (θ ) and
y=r sin ( θ ) .

a. y=4 sin ( π3 )=2 √3 and x=4 cos ( π3 )=2, so we have that z=2+2 √ 3 .

b. y=2sin ( π4 )=√ 2 and x=2 cos ( π4 )=√ 2, so we have that z=√ 2+√ 2i .

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 c. y= √ 3 sin ( 43π )= −2√ 3 and x=√ 3 cos ( 43π )= −12 , so we have
−1 √3 i
that z= − .
2 2

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3. We find the modulus and argument of z using mod ( z )= √ x 2+ y 2=r and arg ( z )=tan
−1
( xy )=θ .
a. mod ( z )=r =5, arg ( z )=θ=2c .

√
b. mod ( z )= ( √ 3 ) +12=√ 4=2 , arg ( z )=tan
2 −1
( )
1 πc
= .
√3 6

()
c
9 π
c. mod ( z )= √9 2+ 92=9 √ 2, arg ( z )=tan
−1
= .
9 4

d. mod ( z )= √ 32 +52= √ 36=6 , arg ( z )=tan

−1
( 53 )=1.03038 . c

4. When it would be time consuming to multiply many complex numbers together, we can
convert them into Polar form and then perform the power operator.
a. Using the FOIL method: ( 2+2 i )( 7+ 4 i )=14 +8 i+ 14 i+ 8i 2. Since i=√ −1 , we know that
2 2
i =−1 , so we have 14+ 8 i+14 i+8 i =14 +22i−8=6 +22i .

b. We first convert 6+ 6i into Polar form:

r =√ 6 + 6 =6 √ 2, and θ=tan
2 2 −1
()
6
6
π iπ
= , so 6+ 6i=6 2e 4 .
4 √

( )
i π 10 i 10 π i5π
We then find ( 6+ 6i )10= 6 √ 2 e 4 =( 6 √ 2 ) e
10 4
=1934917632e 2
.

c. We convert 4 √ 3+ 4 i into Polar form:

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 √ 2
r = ( 4 √ 3 ) +4 2= √ 64=8 , and θ=tan
−1
( 4 4√ 3 )= π6 , so
iπ
4 √ 3+ 4 i=8 e 6 .

( )
iπ 5 i5π i5 π
We then find 8 e 6 =85 e 6
=32768 e 6 .

Complex numbers
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d. We convert 10 √ 3+30 i into Polar form:

√ 2
r = ( 10 √3 ) +302 =20 √3, and θ=tan
−1
( 1030√ 3 )= π3 , so 10 √ 3+30 i=20 √3 e iπ
3
.

( )
iπ 7 i7π i7π
We then find 20 √ 3 e 3 =( 20 √ 3 )7 e 3
=59859675909.6 e 3
.

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