Imaginary Numbers Used In Electricity. Magnitudes of complex numbers in polar forms can be treated like a resistance. Phase angle is the time delay between the voltage and the current waveform.
Imaginary numbers also called complex numbers are used in real life applications such as electricity as well as quadratic equations. First set the stage for the discussion and clarify some vocabulary. How are imaginary numbers used in electricity.
Let s say that we re driving an ac electrical circuit with an oscillating current.
The very simplified answer is that imaginary numbers put together with real numbers to make a complex number can describe the timing of voltage relative to current or current relative to. In fact there are often more imaginary numbers in electrical engineering problems than there are real numbers. The imaginary unit then is called i although in electricity the letter j is used instead to avoid confusion with the unit for current a combination of a real number and an imaginary. Let s say that we re driving an ac electrical circuit with an oscillating current.