Question

Please help me answer this multiple choice question http://oi41.tinypic.com/17qzr5.jpg

Answer 1

My oooold eyes can't make it out very well, but I get that it's adding/subtracting complex numbers?

Just treat complex numbers more or less like binomials... e.g., you can combine "like" parts in addition and subtraction, just like you can with binomials.

Here's what I mean:

I you had (3+8x)-(1-2x)-4=?
you would distribute and combine like terms:
(3+8x)-(1-2x)-4=3+8x-1+2x-4=3-1-4+8x+2x=-2+10x

got that?

So with complex numbers, just "treat" the i the way you do the x above, and combine like terms (real part with real part, imaginary part with imaginary part):
(3+8i)-(1-2i)-4=3+8i-1+2i-4=3-1-4+8i+2i=-2+10i

That's it! And "in standard form" just means in the form "a + bi"