Question

A displacement vector with a magnitude of 20. meters could have perpendicular components with magnitudes of

Answer 1

To find the magnitude of the resultant vector, the formula is written as:

R² = x² + y²,
where
x and y are the perpendicular vectors along x and y axes, respectively.

So, any pair of x and y must satisfy the given equation. There are a lot os possibilities. Let's say, if x = 12, then,

20² = 12² + y²
y = 16

One answer would be a horizontal x vector equal to 12 m, and a vertical y vector equal to 16 m.