How Do You Plot Complex Numbers on a Plane?

[tg22542]

Homework Statement

Graph the following numbers on a complex plane.

A) 3-2i
B)-4
C)-2+i
D)-3i
D)-1-4i

Can smomeone help me how to get started on this question? I'm not sure what it wants me to do

 

[SteamKing]

First, find out what the complex plane looks like. (Hint: it looks just like a regular plane, except the y values are -4i, -3i, ..., 3i, 4i.

Plot A) thru B) from the OP and label the points.

Your work with complex numbers will get MUCH harder from this point.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Do you know how to plot (3, -2) on a graph?

 

[tg22542]

So use an xaxis of -4i to 4i and a y-axis of -1 to 3 then simply plot them?

 

[Mark44]

Homework Statement

Graph the following numbers on a complex plane.

A) 3-2i
B)-4
C)-2+i
D)-3i
D)-1-4i

Can smomeone help me how to get started on this question? I'm not sure what it wants me to do

The instructions are pretty clear to me -

Graph the following numbers on a complex plane.

Have you looked in your book? It should have several examples of graphing complex numbers.

 

[Mentallic]

So use an xaxis of -4i to 4i and a y-axis of -1 to 3 then simply plot them?

No, you have your axes the wrong way around. The x-axis corresponds to the real numbers, and the y-axis to the imaginary numbers. To plot a number $z = a+ib$, you plot (a,b) and you label your real axis (x-axis) as Re(z) and your imaginary axis as Im(z).

Also note that $a = a+i0$ and $ib=0+ib$