| Lectures on Physics has been derived from Benjamin Crowell's Light and Matter series of free introductory textbooks on physics. See the editorial for more information.... |
|
Home  Newtonian Physics Vectors Examples Finding the magnitude and angle from the components |
||||
 Search the VIAS Library | Index
|
  |
|||
|
Finding the magnitude and angle from the components
Given that the Δr vector from LA to Las Vegas has Δx = 290 km and Δy = 230 km, how would we find the magnitude and direction of Δr? We find the magnitude of Δr from the Pythagorean theorem:
We know all three sides of the triangle, so the angle θ can be found using any of the inverse trig functions. For example, we know the opposite and adjacent sides, so
|
||||
| Home Newtonian Physics Vectors Examples Finding the magnitude and angle from the components |
|
|||
