• @[email protected]
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      147 hours ago

      Circles are good at math, but what to do if you not have circle shape? Easy, redefine problem until you have numbers that look like the numbers the circle shape uses. Now we can use circle math on and solve problems about non-circles!

    • @owenfromcanada
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      2410 hours ago

      The short version is: we use some weird abstractions (i.e., ways of representing complex things) to do math and make sense of things.

      The longer version:

      Electromagnetic signals are how we transmit data wirelessly. Everything from radio, to wifi, to xrays, to visible light are all made up of electromagnetic signals.

      Electromagnetic waves are made up of two components: the electrical part, and the magnetic part. We model them mathematically by multiplying one part (the magnetic part, I think) by the constant i, which is defined as sqrt(-1). These are called “complex numbers”, which means there is a “real” part and a “complex” (or “imaginary”) part. They are often modeled as the diagram OP posted, in that they operate at “right angles” to each other, and this makes a lot of the math make sense. In reality, the way the waves propegate through the air doesn’t look like that exactly, but it’s how we do the math.

      It’s a bit like reading a description of a place, rather than seeing a photograph. Both can give you a mental image that approximates the real thing, but the description is more “abstract” in that the words themselves (i.e., squiggles on a page) don’t resemble the real thing.

      • @A_Union_of_Kobolds
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        37 hours ago

        Makes sense, thanks. More of a data transmission than an electrical power thing.

    • Dr. Bob
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      411 hours ago

      Use the Pythagorean theorem: the length of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares for the other two sides. 1x1=1. ixi=-1. 1+(-1)=0.

      • @A_Union_of_Kobolds
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        310 hours ago

        Yeah I get that, but what’s the application to electromagnetism? I’m an electrician, it’s been a few years since I had to think about induction and capacitance calculations, but I do recall them being based mostly on trigonometry. Where does i come into play, I guess is what I’m asking.

        • Dr. Bob
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          29 hours ago

          Sorry I insta-deleted because I realized I wasn’t answering the question but it looks like it still slipped through.

          I wasn’t answering the question because I don’t know. I’m aware that imaginary numbers play a major role in circuit math, but I also need an expert to ELI5.

        • @marcos
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          39 hours ago

          I think the GP is going with complex numbers representing a magnitude and a rotation angle, so that side with length “i” is rotated, and A is an angle of 0°.

          But this image is out of order for that. This one would lead to A = 180°. Either way, you can’t use Pythagoras theorem anyway.

        • @owenfromcanada
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          210 hours ago

          The “i” terms represent the induction and capacitance of a system, while the real component represents the resistance. You can think of “i” terms as the characteristics that hold energy in some way (in mechanical terms, something springy or something with inertia).