Why impedance is a complex number

Log in. Install the app. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.

What happened to "impedance" as a complex number measurement? Thread starter SwordAngel Start date Oct 22, SwordAngel New Head-Fier. Joined Aug 31, Posts 41 Likes Are the imaginary parts so small to be negligible?

If that is the case, shall we assume that the ratings posted by manufacturers only contain the real part of the impedance? Joined Jul 24, Posts 2, Likes Joined May 28, Posts 4, Likes You cannot hear the phase shift. Joined Jun 22, Posts 4, Likes 1, Quote: xnor said:.

Click to expand This is a maths solution and it creates the idea about phasor. Physical idea about phasor is different of vector, it means an alternating changes in time as a senoidal curve but it is writed without use time. Actually, impedance is the sun of a real value resistance and a vector. Please keep this top secret, but there are two other unit vectors orthogonal to j. We call them i and k. So complex numbers are just a subset of this weird space of vectors plus real numbers.

Think of adding apples and monkeys. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Why is impedance represented as a complex number rather than a vector?

Ask Question. Asked 1 year, 4 months ago. Active 7 months ago. Viewed 7k times. JShorthouse JShorthouse 4 4 silver badges 11 11 bronze badges.

To me it seems like complex numbers were invented to solve a completely different problem solving equations with sqrts of negative numbers where this property makes sense, but I don't understand at all why this property is also applied to impedance. On top of this, as others have expressed, the way we chose the rules for complex numbers make them useful for calculating derivatives and integrals.

Show 1 more comment. Active Oldest Votes. Michael Hardy 4 4 bronze badges. Adam Haun Adam Haun It's a start. But there is so, so much more of beauty, too.

Complex numbers are in unitary group U 1 and is a good segue into the study of Lie groups and algebras. Please let me know if there's anything you still don't understand.

I also had a quick look at the book you recommended and everything is starting to become clearer now. Your explanation of how sqrt -1 can be used to perform rotation is what made things really click - you've made me realise the complex numbers are quite amazing and now I want to learn more about them.

I used to go, once a month, to Dr Sirag's home near the University of Oregon to study and argue about string theory ideas. In fact, chapter 3 of his new book comes out from those early discussions we had. Best wishes for you and your daughter. Show 5 more comments. Sanmveg saini Sanmveg saini 1 1 silver badge 12 12 bronze badges. Add a comment. This answer is good because it answers my question of "could vectors be used instead?

So if the word Vector is replaced with Phasor, I'll upvote it. So it can be confusing sciencedirect. I interpret the heart of the question to be functional and not deeply theoretical, but I will try to better address both audiences.

This simplifies circuit analysis The property is desired because we can use imaginary math to carry around the phase information, which is much easier than adding sin functions with the phase together.

Why could a vector with two dimensions not instead be used to represent this? Either the phase can be represented as a vector, and actually some forms of AC analisys only use vectors. There must be some reason why this property is needed and therefore why complex numbers are used, I just can't figure out how this property is needed for impedance calculations. Graphics by P. Peter R. McMahon Peter R. McMahon 1 1 silver badge 4 4 bronze badges. We want to be sure to give credit to the original creator.

Edson Edson 1. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. The Overflow Blog. Does ES6 make JavaScript frameworks obsolete?

Podcast Do polyglots have an edge when it comes to mastering programming Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Linked Related 0. Hot Network Questions. Question feed.