# Numbers on a complex plane

## 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

## Answers and Replies

SteamKing
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
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
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Do you know how to plot (3, -2) on a graph?

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

Mark44
Mentor

## 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
Homework Helper
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 $ib=0+ib$