Skip to main content
Ch. 1 - Equations and Inequalities
Blitzer - College Algebra 8th Edition
Blitzer8th EditionCollege AlgebraISBN: 9780136970514Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 2, Problem 23

In Exercises 21–28, divide and express the result in standard form. 2i/(1 + i)

Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the problem: You need to divide the complex number \$2i\( by the complex number \)(1 + i)\( and express the result in standard form \)a + bi\(, where \)a\( and \)b$ are real numbers.
To divide complex numbers, multiply the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator. The conjugate of \((1 + i)\) is \((1 - i)\). So, multiply numerator and denominator by \((1 - i)\):
\[\frac{2i}{1 + i} \times \frac{1 - i}{1 - i}\]
Use the distributive property (FOIL) to expand both numerator and denominator:
- Numerator: \(2i \times (1 - i) = 2i - 2i^2\)
- Denominator: \((1 + i)(1 - i) = 1 - i^2\)
Recall that \(i^2 = -1\), so simplify both numerator and denominator using this fact, then combine like terms to write the expression in the form \(a + bi\).

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Video duration:
4m
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Complex Numbers and Standard Form

Complex numbers are expressed in the form a + bi, where a is the real part and b is the imaginary part. The standard form makes it easier to perform arithmetic operations and interpret the number geometrically.
Recommended video:
05:02
Multiplying Complex Numbers

Division of Complex Numbers

Dividing complex numbers involves multiplying the numerator and denominator by the conjugate of the denominator to eliminate the imaginary part in the denominator. This process simplifies the expression into a standard form.
Recommended video:
04:22
Dividing Complex Numbers

Complex Conjugate

The complex conjugate of a number a + bi is a - bi. Multiplying by the conjugate removes the imaginary part from the denominator, resulting in a real number denominator, which simplifies division of complex numbers.
Recommended video:
05:33
Complex Conjugates