Question

How do you simplify `(-1+4i)+(-9-2i)`?

Answer 1

`-10+2i`

Explanation:

Real numbers like `-5` and `4` can be added and subtracted to one another. Imaginary numbers like `3i` and `-10i` can be added and subtracted to one another as if they were `3x` and `-10x`.

The parentheses aren't really necessary, since we're doing addition:

`(-1+4i)+(-9-2i)=-1+4i-9-2i`

Group the real numbers and imaginary numbers:

`=-1-9+4i-2i`

We see that `-1-9=-10` and `4i-2i=2i`:

`=-10+2i`

This is already in the standard form for a complex number, which is a real part added to an imaginary part: `a+bi`