The Imaginary Unit and Complex Arithmetic · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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Numbers beyond the number line

Mathematics · Algebra · ages 17-18
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. What are the roots of x squared + 4 = 0, in a + bi form?

    • 2i and -2i
    • 2 and -2
    • 4i and -4i
  2. Sam says (4 - 2i) minus (1 + 3i) equals 3 - 5i. Is Sam right?

    Circle one:   True   False

  3. What are the roots of x squared + 25 = 0? Write them in a + bi form.

    • 5 and -5
    • 25i and -25i
    • 5i and -5i
    • i and -i
  4. What is (3 + 2i) + (1 + 4i)?

    • 4 - 6i
    • 5 + 5i
    • 4 + 6i
  5. What is the distance from the origin to the point 3 + 4i in the complex plane?

    Answer: ______________

  6. What is (2 + i) divided by (1 + i)?

    • 2
    • 1.5 - 0.5i
    • 1.5 + 0.5i
    • 2 + i
  7. What is (2 + 5i)(2 - 5i)?

    • 29
    • -21
    • 4 - 25i
    • 21
  8. What is i to the power 4? Give your answer as a number.

    Answer: ______________

  9. Tom expands (1 + i) squared as 1 + i squared = 0 and stops. What is his mistake?

    • He used the wrong conjugate
    • He dropped the middle term 2i
    • He added instead of multiplying
  10. The equation x squared + 9 = 0 has roots 3i and -3i. What is the product of the two roots?

    Answer: ______________

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Numbers beyond the number line W1-mt_Faemafn550-s1

  1. 2i and -2i · x squared = -4, so x is plus or minus the square root of -4: 2i or -2i.
  2. True · Sam is right: 4 - 1 = 3 and -2i - 3i = -5i, so the answer is 3 - 5i.
  3. 5i and -5i · x squared = -25, so x = plus or minus the square root of -25, which is plus or minus 5i.
  4. 4 + 6i · Add reals 3 + 1 = 4 and imaginaries 2 + 4 = 6, giving 4 + 6i.
  5. 5 · The distance is the square root of (9 + 16) = the square root of 25 = 5.
  6. 1.5 - 0.5i · Multiply top and bottom by (1 - i): the top becomes 3 - i and the bottom becomes 2, so the answer is 1.5 - 0.5i.
  7. 29 · Multiply out: 4 - 10i + 10i - 25i squared = 4 + 25 = 29, since i squared is -1.
  8. 1 · i to the 4th is i squared times i squared: (-1) times (-1) = 1.
  9. He dropped the middle term 2i · Full expansion gives 1 + 2i + i squared, which simplifies to 2i, not 0.
  10. 9 · 3i times -3i is -9 times i squared, and -9 times -1 is 9.
Worksheet · LightMySky