Can Vectors with an angle 180(degrees+) have a negative magnitude?

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SaltyBriefs
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Homework Statement


Can vectors with 180+(degrees) have a negative magnitude? I'm trying to find components of a vector that is going 260 km, 48 (degrees) south of east. So I'm confused whether the 260 is positive or not because of the -48 degrees.

Homework Equations


([itex]\vec{V}[/itex]) (sin[itex]\theta[/itex])
([itex]\vec{V}[/itex]) (cos[itex]\theta[/itex])

The Attempt at a Solution


(-260km)(sin(48)) or (260km)(sin(48)) =[itex]\vec{V}[/itex][itex]_{y}[/itex]

(-260km)(cos(48)) or (260km)(cos(48)) =[itex]\vec{V}[/itex][itex]_{x}[/itex]

Which one??
 
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sin(x) = -sin(-x)

cos(x) = cos(-x)

Hope that helps.

Just use the convention that counterclockwise is positive and clockwise is negative in terms of measuring an angle.
 
Last edited:
WatermelonPig said:
sin(x) = -sin(-x)

cos(x) = cos(-x)

Hope that helps.

Just use the convention that counterclockwise is positive and clockwise is negative in terms of measuring an angle.
Thank you this helped so much! But um just a quick question, why is sin negative? O.o
 
SaltyBriefs said:
Thank you this helped so much! But um just a quick question, why is sin negative? O.o

Oh wait is this from cos, sin
and since it is in the 4th quadrant, y is negative (sin) and x is positive (cos)