Complex number question: express -8 - 8sqrt(3) in form of...

Peter Burnes

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Jun 20, 2006
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Hi..... Have a teaser that i worked through but i don't think is right. Any ideas?
the question is as follows:

Express -8 - 8SQRT(3) in the form r(cos[theta] + isin[theta])

Working with the Argand diagram, I got an answer in the third quadrant (unit circle) of:

7[pi]/6 for the angle [theta]

It goes on to say:

Hence find (-8 - 8[sqrt]3)<sup>3</sup>

I used deMoivres Theorem, but I'm not sure if it's right. Any suggestions?
 
Sorry, but "8-8SQRT(3)" is a Real Number. Did you mean "8-8SQRT(3)i"? If so, you still don't have it.

Where's your magnitude, r?

It is in Quadrant III, but not at \(\displaystyle \frac{7}{6}\pi\).

DeMoivre is good, but you'll have to start better before you get to that.

Give it another go.
 
yes it is
8-8SQRT(3)i

The magnitude r i got as being 16

To get teta i calculated the inverse tan of -8sqrt(3)/-8 which gave me the inverse tan of the sqrt(3) which is 30 degrees....wait a sec.... it's 60 not 30 degrees...ok i can see where one of my mistakes is... cheers coach!!
I'll tip away!
 
ok
i got 4[pi] over 3. in the third quadrant which gives me an angle of 240 for teta.

which is in radians 4[pi] over 3

So would 16(cos 4[pi] over 3 + i sin4[pi] over 3) be correct?

would the second part be ?

(-8 - 8[sqrt]3)^3 = 16(cos (3)4[pi] over 3 + i sin (3) 4[pi] over 3)


thanks for the super quick reply b.t.w!!!!
 
the magnitude? Isn't that the square root of the real number to be squared + the imaginary number to be squared? I got 16..i'm fairly sure that's correct.
What are your thoughts?
 
Re: Complex number question: express -8 - 8sqrt(3) in form o

Hello, Peter!

Let's walk through this step-by-step . . .

(a) Express \(\displaystyle \,-8\,-\,8\sqrt{3}i\,\) in the form \(\displaystyle \,r(\cos\theta\,+\,{\bf i}\sin\theta)\)

(b) Hence find: \(\displaystyle \,(-8\,-\,8\sqrt{3}{\bf i})^3\)
(a) The complex number \(\displaystyle \,z\:=\:a\,+\,b{\bf i}\,\) has magnitude: \(\displaystyle \,r\:=\:\sqrt{a^2\,+\,b^2\)

\(\displaystyle \;\;\)and angle \(\displaystyle \theta\), where: \(\displaystyle \,\tan\theta\:=\:\frac{b}{a}\)


We have: \(\displaystyle z\:=\:-8\,-\,8\sqrt{3}{\bf i},\;\;a\,=\,-8,\;\;b\,=\,-8\sqrt{3}\)

Then: \(\displaystyle \,r\;=\;\sqrt{(-8)^2\,+\,(-8\sqrt{3})^2} \;=\;\sqrt{64\,+\,192}\;=\;\sqrt{256}\;=\;16\)

And: \(\displaystyle \,\tan\theta\;=\;\frac{-8\sqrt{3}}{-8}\;=\;\sqrt{3}\;\;\Rightarrow\;\;\theta\;=\;\frac{\pi}{3},\;\frac{4\pi}{3}\)

\(\displaystyle \;\;\)Since \(\displaystyle \theta\) is in quadrant 3: \(\displaystyle \,\theta\,=\,\frac{4\pi}{3}\)


Therefore: \(\displaystyle \,-8\,-\,8\sqrt{3}{\bf i}\;=\;16\left(\cos\frac{4\pi}{3}\,+\,{\bf i}\sin\frac{4\pi}{3}\right)\)


(b) Using DeMoivre's theorem:

\(\displaystyle \;\;\left[16\left(\cos\frac{4\pi}{3}\,+\,{\bf i}\sin\frac{4\pi}{3}\right)\right]^3 \;= \;16^3\left[\cos\left(3\cdot\frac{\4\pi}{3}\right)\,+\,{\bf i}\sin\left(3\cdot\frac{4\pi}{3}\right)\right]\)

\(\displaystyle \;=\;4096\left[\cos(4\pi)\,+\,{\bf i}\sin(4\pi)\right] \;=\;4096\left[1\,+\,0{\bf i}\right] \;= \; 4096\)
 
Calculating four complex numbers

That's a great answer!
I have another quick question that's not really covered in my book at the moment.

Find the FOUR complex numbers such that
z^4=\(\displaystyle \,-8\,-\,8\sqrt{3}i\,\)

I have to give my answer in the form a +bi with a and b fully evaluated.

Do i just apply deMoivres Theorem...I'm not sure how that will give me four complex numbers though...

Thanks for your input!
 
See that extra parameter in the numerators? It's usually 'k'. Read its definition very carefully. That will get you all the roots you need.
 
Re: Calculating four complex numbers

Hello, Peter!

Perhaps you don't understand DeMoivre's Theorem ... as it applies to roots.
I'll give you a walk-through . . .

Find the FOUR complex numbers such that: \(\displaystyle \,z^4\:=\:-8\,-\,8\sqrt{3}i\)

I have to give my answer in the form \(\displaystyle a\,+\,bi\) with \(\displaystyle a\) and \(\displaystyle b\) fully evaluated.

Do i just apply DeMoivre's Theorem?
I'm not sure how that will give me four complex numbers though
If the polar form is: \(\displaystyle \,z\:=\:r(\cos\theta\,+\,i\cdot\sin\theta)\)

\(\displaystyle \;\;\)then: \(\displaystyle \,z^{\frac{1}{k}} \;=\;r^{\frac{1}{k}}\left[\cos\left(\frac{\theta\,+\,2\pi n}{k}\right)\,+\,i\cdot\sin\left(\frac{\theta\,+\,2\pi n}{k}\right)\right]\;\) . . . for \(\displaystyle n\,=\,0,\,1,\,2,\,\cdots\,k-1\)


We have: \(\displaystyle \,z^4\;=\;16\left(\cos\frac{4\pi}{3}\,+\,i\cdot\sin\frac{4\pi}{3}\right)\) . . . and we want the 4<sup>th</sup> roots.

Then: \(\displaystyle \,z\;=\;16^{\frac{1}{4}}\left[\cos\left(\frac{\frac{4\pi}{3}\,+\,2\pi n}{4}\right)\,+\,i\cdot\sin\left(\frac{\frac{4\pi}{3}\,+\,2\pi n}{4}\right)\right]\)

Simplify: \(\displaystyle \,z\;=\;2\left[\cos\left(\frac{\pi}{3}\,+\,\frac{\pi}{2}n\right)\,+\,i\cdot\sin\left(\frac{\pi}{3}\,+\,\frac{\pi}{2}n\right)\right]\;\) . . . for \(\displaystyle n\,=\,0,\,1,\,2,\,3\)


\(\displaystyle n\,=\,0:\;\;z\:=\:2\left(\cos\frac{\pi}{3} + i\cdot\sin\frac{\pi}{3}\right) \:= \;2\left(\frac{1}{2}\,+\,i\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right) \:=\;1\,+\,i\sqrt{3}\)

\(\displaystyle n\,=\,1:\;\;z\:=\:2\left(\cos\frac{5\pi}{6}\,+\,i\cdot\sin\frac{5\pi}{6}\right)\:=\:2\left(-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\,+\,i\frac{1}{2}\right) \:= \:-\sqrt{3}\,+\,i\)

\(\displaystyle n\,=\,2:\;\;z\:=\:2\left(\cos\frac{4\pi}[3}\,+\,i\cdot\sin\frac{4\pi}{3}\right)\:=\:2\left(-\frac{1}{2}\,-\,i\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\right) \:=\: -1\,-\,i\sqrt{3}\)

\(\displaystyle n\,=\,3:\;\;z\:=\:2\left(\cos\frac{11\pi}{6}\,+\,i\cdot\sin\frac{11\pi}{6}\right)\:=\:2\left(\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}\,-\,i\frac{1}{2}\right) \:=\:\sqrt{3}\,-\,i\)
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