Back to community
MathematicsClass 11 (CBSE) Resolved

How do I find the modulus and argument of the complex number 1 + i?

We just started complex numbers and I can plot 1 + i but I'm confused about how to get its modulus and argument correctly, especially the argument quadrant.

TuitionsInIndia Study Desk 43 134d ago
Need help with Mathematics? Browse tutor profiles and check whether they teach your subject and class.

1 answer

Accepted answer
8

Write the complex number as z = x + iy, so here x = 1 and y = 1. The modulus |z| is the distance from the origin, given by the square root of (x² + y²). That is the square root of (1 + 1), which equals the square root of 2. The argument is the angle the line to z makes with the positive real axis, found from tan θ = y/x = 1. Since both x and y are positive, z lies in the first quadrant, so θ = π/4 (45°). Therefore 1 + i has modulus root 2 and argument π/4. In polar form it is root 2 times (cos π/4 + i sin π/4). Always check the quadrant before fixing the argument, because tan alone is ambiguous.

TuitionsInIndia Study DeskEditorial
Reviewed answer · 134d ago

Sign in as a tutor to answer this doubt.