Find Magnitude and Angle of Vector A with Vector B & C

  • Thread starter cdphys
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In summary, Joffan said that to find the magnitude of vector C, you first need to find the cosine of the angle between A and B.
  • #1
cdphys
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Homework Statement


Q1)
Let vector B = (5.00m, 65°), let the magnitude of vector C equal (=) the magnitude of vector A, and C has a direction 20° greater than vector A.
A(dot/scalar product)B = 22.0m^2
B(dot/scalar product)C = 39.0m^2

Find magnitude of A and its direction (angle)?

Homework Equations


Bx = Bcosθ
By = Bsinθ
Trig

The Attempt at a Solution


For Q1 I have tried a variety of methods. To obtain a few angles or magnitudes but I am literally stuck, not even sure where to start. I tried to find the angle between B and C to obtain the Magnitude of C which will equal A... afterwards find the angle between A and B with the newly found magnitude (A = C). Maybe that is the wrong approach, but I could not figure out how to find Mag of C without Cx or Cy...

I am not sure how else to transcribe the math I have on paper to this forum, but if this is lacking information a hint in the right direction would be truly appreciated.

Thanks a lot,
Cd
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
As a hint, one definition of dot product is: $$ A \cdot B=\left\|A\right\| \, \left\|B\right\| \cos \theta $$, where ##\theta## is the angle between the two vectors. I would look for ##\theta## first.
 
  • #3
cdphys said:

Homework Statement


Q1)
Let vector B = (5.00m, 65°), let the magnitude of vector C equal (=) the magnitude of vector A, and C has a direction 20° greater than vector A.
A(dot/scalar product)B = 22.0m^2
B(dot/scalar product)C = 39.0m^2

Find magnitude of A and its direction (angle)?

Homework Equations


Bx = Bcosθ
By = Bsinθ
Trig

The Attempt at a Solution


For Q1 I have tried a variety of methods. To obtain a few angles or magnitudes but I am literally stuck, not even sure where to start. I tried to find the angle between B and C to obtain the Magnitude of C which will equal A... afterwards find the angle between A and B with the newly found magnitude (A = C). Maybe that is the wrong approach, but I could not figure out how to find Mag of C without Cx or Cy...

I am not sure how else to transcribe the math I have on paper to this forum, but if this is lacking information a hint in the right direction would be truly appreciated.

Thanks a lot,
Cd

Like Joffan said, for vectors a andb, ##\mathfrak R\left(\vec a\cdot\vec b\right)=\left\|a\right\| \, \left\|b\right\| \cos \theta##
 
Last edited:
  • #4
Hello cdphys. Welcome to PF !
 
Last edited:
  • #5
SammyS said:
Actually, it was Joffan who posted that helpful tip.

Oops! I edited my post!
 

Related to Find Magnitude and Angle of Vector A with Vector B & C

1. How do I find the magnitude of vector A?

To find the magnitude of vector A, you can use the Pythagorean theorem. This means you square the x and y components of vector A, add them together, and then take the square root of the sum. The resulting value is the magnitude of vector A.

2. How do I find the angle between vector A and vector B?

You can find the angle between two vectors, A and B, by using the dot product formula: A · B = |A| |B| cosθ. This formula will give you the cosine of the angle between the two vectors. To find the actual angle, you can use the inverse cosine function (cos^-1) on your calculator.

3. What is the difference between the magnitude and angle of a vector?

The magnitude of a vector refers to its length or size, while the angle of a vector refers to its direction in relation to a reference point or axis. The magnitude is a scalar quantity, meaning it has only magnitude, while the angle is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

4. Can I find the magnitude and angle of a vector using only its x and y components?

Yes, you can find the magnitude and angle of a vector using only its x and y components. To find the magnitude, you can use the Pythagorean theorem as mentioned before. To find the angle, you can use the inverse tangent function (tan^-1) on your calculator, using the y component divided by the x component as your input.

5. How can I use vector C to find the magnitude and angle of vector A?

To use vector C to find the magnitude and angle of vector A, you can use the vector addition formula: A + C = R. R will be a resultant vector that you can use to find the magnitude and angle of vector A using the methods mentioned before. Alternatively, you can also use the vector subtraction formula: A - C = R, and then use R to find the magnitude and angle of vector A.

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