AS/A2 Pure 5 Pure 6

P4 Topic 3: Complex numbers
Subtraction of complex numbers
This Argand diagram shows how complex numbers a and b are subtracted to produce the complex number c. This subtraction is similar to the "parallelogram law" for subtracting vectors.

Please enable Java for an interactive construction (with Cinderella).

Summary the Argand diagram illustrates a - b = c, where a, b and c are complex numbers if a = c + di and b = e + fi, then c = a - b = (c-e) + (d-f)i |a - b| ¹ |a| - |b| Uses Cinderella interactive geometry.