Finding Velocity given x and y velocities

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To find the velocity of an object given its x and y components, the Pythagorean Theorem is used to calculate the magnitude of the velocity. This involves taking the square root of the sum of the squares of the x and y components. Additionally, trigonometric functions can determine the angle of the resultant velocity. While some may suggest simply adding the x and y components, this approach is not correct for calculating the overall velocity. Understanding vector addition is crucial for accurate results in physics.
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1. How do you find the velocity of an object if you are given the x and y components of the velocity?



2. Not sure!



3. It makes the most sense to use the Pythagorean Theorem to find the magnitude then trig to find the angle, but I've got a classmate telling me you simply add together the x and y components. Which is it?
 
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you are right to use the pythagorean theroem. That gives you the velocity.
 
You and your classmate are both (kind of) right. How do you add vector components?
 

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