Resolving Vectors

Front

What is a scalar quantity?

Back

A scalar quantity is a physical quantity that has only magnitude and no direction, such as mass, temperature, or speed.

Front

What is a vector quantity?

Back

A vector quantity is a physical quantity that has both magnitude and direction, such as force, velocity, or displacement.

Front

How do you find the resultant vector of two vectors?

Back

To find the resultant vector, you can use the Pythagorean theorem if the vectors are perpendicular, or use vector addition methods for non-perpendicular vectors.

Front

What is the formula for calculating the magnitude of a resultant vector?

Back

The magnitude of a resultant vector R from two vectors A and B can be calculated using R = √(A² + B²) for perpendicular vectors.

Front

What is displacement?

Back

Displacement is the shortest distance from the initial to the final position of an object, along with the direction.

Front

How do you calculate displacement when moving in opposite directions?

Back

Displacement is calculated by subtracting the distance traveled in the opposite direction from the distance traveled in the initial direction.

Front

What is the horizontal component of a vector?

Back

The horizontal component of a vector is the projection of the vector along the horizontal axis, calculated using the cosine of the angle.

Front

What is the vertical component of a vector?

Back

The vertical component of a vector is the projection of the vector along the vertical axis, calculated using the sine of the angle.

Front

If a vector has a magnitude of 20 N at an angle of 30°, what are its horizontal and vertical components?

Back

Horizontal component = 20 * cos(30°) ≈ 17.32 N; Vertical component = 20 * sin(30°) = 10 N.

Front

What is the significance of the angle in vector resolution?

Back

The angle determines the direction of the vector components and affects how the vector is resolved into its horizontal and vertical parts.