Question

Vector A points along the + y axis and a magnitude of 100.0 units. Vector B points at an angle of 60.0 degrees above the +x axis and has a magnitude of 200.0 units. Vector C points along the +x axis and has a magnitude of 150.0 units. Which vector has (a ) the largest x component and (b) the largest y component ?

Answer 1

Answer:

vector quantities are resolved into their component form (along the x and y-axis) before adding them. Let us assume that two vectors are

→

a

=

x

1

^

i

+

y

1

^

j

and

→

b

=

x

2

^

i

+

y

2

^

j

, we can find the sum of two vectors as follows.

→

a

+

→

b

=

x

1

^

i

+

y

1

^

j

+

x

2

^

i

+

y

2

^

j

=

(

x

1

+

x

2

)

^

i

+

(

y

1

+

y

2

)

^

j

The direction of the sum of the vectors (with positive x-axis) is,

θ

=

tan

−

1

(

y

1

+

y

2

x

1

+

x

2

)