Phasors and Complex

Numbers
Alan Murray
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Complex Numbers
Revision
j = (-1), so j
2
= -1
2,3, -4.75 are real numbers
2j, 3j, -4.75j are imaginary numbers
(3.5 - 7.2j) is a complex number
With real and imaginary parts
+3.5 and -7.2j respectively

Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Complex Arithmetic
C
1
= a + jb
C
2
= c + jd
Adding two complex numbers
C
1
+ C
2
= (a + c) + j(b + d)
add Re() and Im() parts separately
Multiplying two complex numbers

C
1
x C
2
= (a + jb) x (c + jd)
= (ac bd) + j(bc + ad)
But
C
1
x C
1
= (a + jb) x (a + jb)
= (a
2
b
2
) + j x 2ab
So |C
1
| is NOT (C
1
2
) as it is for real numbers
(a + jb) x (c + jd)
ac + j
2
bd + jbc + jda
ac - bd + jbc + jda
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Complex Numbers as Pictures
C
1
C
2
a
1
b
1
b
2
a
2
Real Part
Imaginary Part
This is an
Argand Diagram
C
1
= a
1
+ jb
1
C
2
= a
2
+ jb
2

C
1
has real and imaginary
components a
1
and b
1
respectively
This is very similar to the x- and
y- components of a 2D vector
(remember them?).
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
C
2
Complex Numbers as Pictures
C
1
a
1
b
1
b
2
a
2
Real Part
Imaginary Part
Adding Complex
Numbers
just like vectors,
C
3
=C
1
+C
2
C
1
= a
1
+ jb
1
C
2
= a
2
+ jb
2
C
3
= (a
1
+ a
2
) + j(b
1
+ b
2
)

C
2
b
3
a
3
C
3
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Complex Numbers as Pictures
C

a

b

Real Part
Imaginary Part
Magnitude of
Complex Numbers
almost like vectors
If C were simply a vector C
Pythagoras |C| = (a
2
+ b
2
)
|C| = [C.C] = [C
2
]
Here, |C| also = (a
2
+ b
2
)
But |C| [C
2
]
|C| [(a+jb)(a+jb)]
|C| = [(a+jb)(ajb)]
|C| = (C x C
*
)
C
*
= Complex Conjugate of C
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Complex Numbers as Pictures
C
1
C
2 Real Part
Imaginary Part
C
3
= C
1
+ C
2
Argand Diagram
I, V
R
V
C
V
S
= V
R
+ V
C
Phasor Diagram
V`
R
V
C
I
I
V
S
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
AC Circuit analysis
Trigonometry is
conceptually simple
Phasor diagrams are
nice to analyse
sin(A+B)+cos(C+D)
etc is a pain!
Phasor diagrams for
complex circuits look
like this
Back to lots of nasty
trigonometry
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Rationale
Argand Diagrams = Phasor Diagrams?
Can we use complex number
mathematics (L) to make geometrical
things simpler to do (J)?
No pain, no gain!
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Remember how phasors work?
V
R
V
C
I
I
V
S
I, V
R
V
C
V
S
= V
R
+ V
C
Now spin it!
Lets look
closer
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Translation into complex numbers
and Argand diagrams?
Real Part
Imaginary Part
Project on to x-axis = Take the real part
Spin to create cos(t) = allow to run 0360

Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
So we need to represent C = a+jb
in terms of and |C| = C
0
Real Part
Imaginary Part

C = a+jb
C
0
= |C| = (a
2
+b
2
)
a = C
0
cos()
b = C
0
sin()
C = a+jb = C
0
cos() + jC
0
sin()
= C
0
[cos()+jsin()]
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
There is a neater, if superficially
nastier, notation
C = a+jb = C
0
[cos()+jsin()]
It turns out, can be written:-
cos()+jsin() = e
j
So C = C
0
e
j
(or C
0
Z)
Means C
0
at an angle of
e
j
does all the right things, when we take
the real part to get a real number (voltage
or current, in our case) out of it.
Our numbers will be real voltages and
currents
Real Part
Imaginary Part

C = a+jb
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
cos()+jsin() = e
j
why?

! 7 ! 5 ! 3
) sin(
! 6 ! 4 ! 2
1 ) cos(
! 7 ! 6 ! 5 ! 4 ! 3 ! 2
1
7 5 3
6 4 2
7 6 5 4 3 2
x x x
x x
x x x
x
x x x x x x
x e
x
+ =
+ =
+ + + + + + + =
Here are some old friends(!)
Now substitute j for x
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
cos()+jsin() = e
j
proved.

! 7 ! 6 ! 5 ! 4 ! 3 ! 2
1
! 7
) (
! 6
) (
! 5
) (
! 4
) (
! 3
) (
! 2
) (
1
7 6 5 4 3 2
7 6 5 4 3 2
| | | | | |
|
| | | | | |
|
|
|
j j j
j e
j j j j j j
j e
j
j
+ + + =
+ + + + + + + =
Now substitute j for x

! 6 ! 4 ! 2
1 ) cos(
6 4 2
| | |
| + =

! 7 ! 5 ! 3
) sin(
7 5 3
| | |
| |
j j j
j j + =
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Some examples for you
C
1
= 3 + 4j
C
2
= 5 2j
C
1
+C
2
=
C
1
*C
2
=
C
1
*C
1
=
|C
1
| =
8 + 2j
(15+8) + (206)j =23 + 14j
(3+4j)(3+4j) = -7 + 24j
[(3+4j)(3-4j)] = 5
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Some examples for you
| |

|
j
x+jy =Ae =A cos( )+jsin( ) =x+jy
( ) 45 j
=1.41e
1 2
1
2
j
|
| |
45 45 =1.41 cos( )+jsin( )
=1+ j
=1.410.71+ j1.410.71
1+ j
2 2
A = 1 +1 = 2 =1.41
1
45
2
|
| |
=
|
\ .
-1
= sin
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Some examples for you
( ) 296 j
=2.24e
| |
296 296 =2.24 cos( )+jsin( ) =1- 2j =2.240.45- j2.240.89 1- 2j
2 2
A= 1 +2 = 5 =2.24
2
296
5
|
| |
=
|
\ .
-1
=sin
1 2
-1
-2
j
|
| |

|
j
x+jy =Ae =A cos( )+jsin( ) =x+jy
Clicker time
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
And j does something interesting
Take a complex number e
j

e
j
= cos()+jsin()
Multiply by j
je
j
= jcos()+j
2
sin()
= -sin()+jcos()
Multiply by j again
jje
j
= j
2
cos()-jsin()
= -cos()-jsin()
Multiply by j again
jjje
j
= j
3
cos()-j
2
sin()
= sin() -jcos()
And finally
jjjje
j
= e
j

=cos()+jsin()


Real Part
Imaginary Part

e
j

je
j
j
2
e
j
j
3
e
j
j
4
e
j

cos()
jsin()

Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
And j does something interesting
e
j
= cos()+jsin()
Multiply by j
je
j
= jcos()+j
2
sin()
= -sin()+jcos()
Multiply by j
jje
j
= j
2
cos()-jsin()
= -cos()-jsin()
Multiply by j
jjje
j
= j
3
cos()-j
2
sin()
= sin()-jcos()
Multiply by j
jjjje
j
= e
j

=cos()+jsin()


xj = 90 phase advance
xj = 90 phase advance
xj = 90 phase advance
xj = 90 phase advance
Re(e
j
)
Real part in blue
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
Summary complex numbers
and some little cunning stunts
1) e
j
= cos() + jsin()
2) xj rotates a complex number by 90
i.e. xj advances Re(e
j
) by 90
3) e
j/2
= cos(/2) + jx sin(/2)
= 0 + jx 1
4) So e
j/2
= +j

5)

j
1
j
j j
j
j
1
j
j
j
1
because j,
j
1
=
|
.
|

\
|

= |
.
|

\
|

= |
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
= |
.
|

\
|
=
Alan Murray University of Edinburgh
What does this have to do with
V = V
0
cos(t) etc? Set = t
V
R
V
C
I
I
V
S
V
S
= V
R
+ V
C
t
V
S
= V
S0
e
jt
V
S
= V
S0
[cos(t) + jsin(t)]
For the real voltage V
S
take the real part of V
S
V
S
= V
S0
cos(t)
That is all there is to it better
understood via some examples
We will do the RC example on the
left first, 3 times, to compare
the e
jt
method
a phasor diagram solution
dear old trigonometry