There are
three ways to represent complex numbers on the screen: rectangular
form, polar form, and electrical
engineering form.
To make
sense of this, you have to imagine the complex numbers living in the (real)
xy-plane, with real numbers (like 2) along the x-axis and imaginary numbers
(like 3i ) along the y-axis, so that the complex number 2+3i
corresponds to the point (2,3).
Polar and
electrical engineering form correspond to converting rectangular coordinates
to polar coordinates.
To
enter a complex number in rectangular form, enter 2+3i .
To have
complex numbers displayed in rectangular form regardless of how they're
entered, set Complex Format to REAL or RECTANGULAR on the MODE
menu.
This screen
shows how various complex numbers are displayed when Complex Format is
REAL.
When Complex
Format is RECTANGULAR, the same entries produce the same results.
(There are
some differences. In REAL mode, entering e^(1+3i) gives the
output e3i e. In RECTANGULAR mode, you get cos(3)
e + sin(3) e i .)
To
enter a complex number in polar form, enter e^(1+p/3i
).
To have
complex numbers displayed in polar form regardless of how they're entered,
set Complex Format to POLAR the MODE menu.
(For help
finding the e^( key, click here.
For a discussion of polar coordinates on the calculator, click here.)
This screen
shows how various complex numbers are displayed when Complex Format is
POLAR and Angle mode is RADIAN.
Electrical
engineers often use complex numbers in polar form, but they write them
differently.
To enter
a complex number in electrical engineering form, enter the symbols on the
last line in the illustration above.
To have
complex numbers displayed in electrical engineering form regardless of
how they're entered, set Complex Format to POLAR and Angle to DEGREE on
the MODE menu.
(The angle
and degree symbols are marked on the keyboards as shown in the two keyboard
pictures above.)
You can
enter the angle in radians, but you'll use degrees in your EE class.
This screen
shows how various complex numbers are displayed when Complex Format is
POLAR and Angle is DEGREE.
Note that
the calculator will not accept the exponential version of polar form in
DEGREE mode.
You can
still enter angles in radians when your calculator is in DEGREE mode: the
r is in the Angle submenu of the MATH menu (2nd 5) or in the CATALOG
(but not under R; it's with the symbols before A.) The degree symbol has
no effect in DEGREE mode; the radian symbol has no effect in RADIAN mode.