Complex Numbers Assignment
15 Questions — Real & Imaginary Parts, Modulus, Operations, Conjugates, Equations, and Proofs
Name: ___________________________ Date: ___________________________
Instructions: Show full working for each question. Give exact answers (fractions or surds) unless otherwise stated.
Given complex numbers (use these throughout Questions 6–10)
z₁ = 2 − 3i z₂ = −1 + 4i z₃ = 4 + i
Section A: Real and Imaginary Parts
1. Find the real and imaginary parts of the following complex numbers.
(a) z = 5 − 2i
(b) z = −6i
(c) z = (10 − 15i) / 5
2. Find the real and imaginary parts of z = (7 + i) / (3 − 2i).
3. Find the real and imaginary parts of z = (1 + 2i) − (1 − 2i).
Section B: Modulus
4. Find the modulus of each complex number found in Question 1 (parts a, b and c).
5. Find the modulus of z = (−8 + 15i) / 17.
Section C: Operations with Complex Numbers
Use z₁ = 2 − 3i, z₂ = −1 + 4i, z₃ = 4 + i for Questions 6–10. Check your answers with a calculator where possible.
6. Calculate z₁ − z₂ + z₃
7. Calculate 2z₁ + 3z₂ − 4z₃
8. Calculate −½ z₁ + ⅔ z₂ − ¼ z₃
9. Calculate z₁ × z₂ + 2z₃*
10. Calculate (z₁ × z₂*) / z₃
Section D: Solving Equations
11. Find the real numbers a and b that satisfy (2 − i)(a + bi) = 4 + 3i.
12. Find the complex number z that satisfies 3(z − 2i) = 2i(z + 1).
13. Solve for z ∈ ℂ: |z| + z* = 4 + 2i.
Section E: Proof
14. Prove that (z₁ × z₂)* = z₁* × z₂* for any complex numbers z₁ and z₂, by writing z₁ = a + bi and z₂ = c + di.
15. Prove that |z₁ × z₂| = |z₁| × |z₂| for any complex numbers z₁ and z₂, by writing z₁ = a + bi and z₂ = c + di.
Answers
Section A: Real and Imaginary Parts
1.
(a) z = 5 − 2i → Re(z) = 5, Im(z) = −2
(b) z = −6i → Re(z) = 0, Im(z) = −6
(c) z = (10 − 15i)/5 = 2 − 3i → Re(z) = 2, Im(z) = −3
2.
Multiply numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator:
(7 + i)/(3 − 2i) × (3 + 2i)/(3 + 2i) = (21 + 14i + 3i + 2i²)/(9 + 4) = (19 + 17i)/13
Re(z) = 19/13, Im(z) = 17/13
3.
z = (1 + 2i) − (1 − 2i) = 4i → Re(z) = 0, Im(z) = 4
Section B: Modulus
4.
(a) |5 − 2i| = √(25 + 4) = √29
(b) |−6i| = √(0 + 36) = 6
(c) |2 − 3i| = √(4 + 9) = √13
5.
|z| = √(64 + 225)/17 = √289/17 = 17/17 = 1
Section C: Operations with Complex Numbers
6.
z₁ − z₂ = (2 − 3i) − (−1 + 4i) = 3 − 7i
(3 − 7i) + z₃ = (3 − 7i) + (4 + i) = 7 − 6i
7.
2z₁ = 4 − 6i, 3z₂ = −3 + 12i, 4z₃ = 16 + 4i
2z₁ + 3z₂ − 4z₃ = (4 − 6i) + (−3 + 12i) − (16 + 4i) = −15 + 2i
8.
−½ z₁ = −1 + 1.5i, ⅔ z₂ = −⅔ + ⁸⁄₃ i, −¼ z₃ = −1 − 0.25i
Real part: −1 − ⅔ − 1 = −8/3
Imaginary part: 3/2 + 8/3 − 1/4 = 18/12 + 32/12 − 3/12 = 47/12
Result: −8/3 + 47/12 i
9.
z₁ × z₂ = (2 − 3i)(−1 + 4i) = −2 + 8i + 3i − 12i² = −2 + 11i + 12 = 10 + 11i
z₃* = 4 − i, so 2z₃* = 8 − 2i
z₁z₂ + 2z₃* = (10 + 11i) + (8 − 2i) = 18 + 9i
10.
z₂* = −1 − 4i
z₁ × z₂* = (2 − 3i)(−1 − 4i) = −2 − 8i + 3i + 12i² = −14 − 5i
Divide by z₃ = 4 + i (multiply by conjugate 4 − i, |z₃|² = 17):
(−14 − 5i)(4 − i)/17 = (−56 + 14i − 20i + 5i²)/17 = (−61 − 6i)/17 = −61/17 − 6/17 i
Section D: Solving Equations
11.
(2 − i)(a + bi) = 2a + 2bi − ai − bi² = (2a + b) + (2b − a)i
Equate real and imaginary parts: 2a + b = 4 and 2b − a = 3
From the first equation, b = 4 − 2a. Substitute: 2(4 − 2a) − a = 3 → 8 − 5a = 3 → a = 1
Then b = 4 − 2(1) = 2
a = 1, b = 2
12.
3(z − 2i) = 2i(z + 1) → 3z − 6i = 2iz + 2i
3z − 2iz = 8i → z(3 − 2i) = 8i
z = 8i/(3 − 2i) = 8i(3 + 2i)/13 = (24i + 16i²)/13 = (−16 + 24i)/13
z = −16/13 + 24/13 i
13.
Let z = x + yi, so z* = x − yi and |z| = √(x² + y²).
√(x² + y²) + x − yi = 4 + 2i
Imaginary parts: −y = 2 → y = −2
Real parts: √(x² + 4) + x = 4 → √(x² + 4) = 4 − x
Squaring: x² + 4 = 16 − 8x + x² → 8x = 12 → x = 3/2 (satisfies 4 − x ≥ 0)
z = 3/2 − 2i
Section E: Proof
14.
Let z₁ = a + bi and z₂ = c + di, where a, b, c, d ∈ ℝ.
z₁ × z₂ = (a + bi)(c + di) = (ac − bd) + (ad + bc)i
So (z₁ × z₂)* = (ac − bd) − (ad + bc)i
Also z₁* = a − bi and z₂* = c − di, so
z₁* × z₂* = (a − bi)(c − di) = ac − adi − bci + bdi² = (ac − bd) − (ad + bc)i
Since both expressions equal (ac − bd) − (ad + bc)i, (z₁ × z₂)* = z₁* × z₂*. ∎
15.
Let z₁ = a + bi and z₂ = c + di, where a, b, c, d ∈ ℝ.
z₁ × z₂ = (ac − bd) + (ad + bc)i, so
|z₁ × z₂|² = (ac − bd)² + (ad + bc)²
= a²c² − 2abcd + b²d² + a²d² + 2abcd + b²c²
= a²c² + b²d² + a²d² + b²c² = a²(c² + d²) + b²(c² + d²) = (a² + b²)(c² + d²)
Also (|z₁||z₂|)² = |z₁|²|z₂|² = (a² + b²)(c² + d²)
Since |z₁ × z₂| and |z₁||z₂| are both non-negative and their squares are equal, |z₁ × z₂| = |z₁| × |z₂|. ∎