An Argand diagram is a?geometrical?way to represent complex numbers as either a?point?or a?vector?in two-dimensional space
We can represent the complex number ?by the?point?with?cartesian coordinate
The?real?component is represented by points on the?x-axis, called the?real axis, Re
The?imaginary?component is represented by points on the?y-axis, called the?imaginary axis, Im
You may be asked to show?roots?of an equation in an Argan diagram
First?solve?the equation
Draw a quick sketch, only adding essential information to the axes
Plot the points and label clearly
How can I use an Argand diagram to visualise |z1?+?z2| and |z1?-?z2|?
Plot two complex numbers?z1?and?z2
Draw a line from the origin to each complex number
Form a parallelogram using the two lines as two adjacent sides
The modulus of their sum?|z1?+?z2|?will be the length of the diagonal of the parallelogram starting at the origin
The modulus of their difference?|z1?-?z2|?will be the length of the diagonal between the two complex numbers
Worked Example
a) Plot the complex numbers?z1??= 2 + 2i??and?z2?= 3 – 4i as points on an Argand diagram.
b) Write down the complex numbers represented by the points A and B on the Argand diagram below.
Exam Tip
When setting up an Argand diagram you do not need to draw a fully scaled axes, you only need the essential information for the points you want to show, this will save a lot of time.
Modulus & Argument
How do I find the modulus of a complex number?
The modulus of a complex number is its?distance?from the origin when plotted on an Argand diagram
The modulus of ?is written
If , then we can use?Pythagoras?to show…
A modulus is always?positive
the modulus is related to the complex?conjugate?by…
This is because
In general,
e.g. both ?and ?have a modulus of 5, but ?simplifies to ?which has a modulus of 8
How do I find the argument of a complex number?
The argument of a complex number is the anti-clockwise?angle?that it makes when starting at the positive real axis on an Argand diagram
Arguments are measured in?radians
Sometimes these can be given exact in terms of
The argument of ?is written
Arguments can be calculated using right-angled?trigonometry
This involves using the tan ratio plus a sketch to decide whether it is positive/negative and acute/obtuse
Arguments are usually given in the range
This is called the?principal argument
Negative arguments are for complex numbers in the third and fourth quadrants
Occasionally you could be asked to give arguments in the range
The argument of zero, ?is undefined (no angle can be drawn)
Exam Tip
Always draw a sketch to see which quadrant the complex number is in