Help with A+B and 2A+3B: Magnitude & Direction

A cos\theta_A + B cos\theta_B)^2 + (A sin\theta_A + B sin\theta_B)^2}In summary, to find the magnitude of A + B, we must first find the x and y components of each vector and then use the formula \sqrt{(R_x^2 + R_y^2)} to calculate the resultant magnitude.
  • #1
rsixtyone
3
0
I'm don't know how to do this at all, can anyone help me please?

If [tex]A=[A\angle\theta_{A}][/tex] and [tex]B=[B\angle\theta_{B}][/tex],

1) what is the magnitude of A+B?
2) what is the direction of A+B?
3) what is the magnitude of 2A+3B?
4) what is the direction of 2A-3B?
 
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  • #2
Start by finding the x and y components of each vector, then operate on those components to find the resultants. You'll need to know that [itex]A_x = A cos\theta_A[/itex] and [itex]A_y = A sin\theta_A[/itex].
 
  • #3
also keep in mind that once you know the components (x,y,z) of a vector, you can easily calculate the vector's magnitude using the formula sqrt(x²+y²+z²)

just as an addendum to Doc Al's words

regards
marlon
 
  • #4
This is a new to me, I still couldn't get it. Solve and explain the problem to me Doc? Thank you.
 
  • #5
Poke around here: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/vect.html#vec2

I'll do the first one:
[itex]\vec{R} = \vec{A} + \vec{B}[/itex]
First the x components:
[itex]R_x = A_x + B_x = A cos\theta_A + B cos\theta_B[/itex]
Then the y components:
[itex]R_y = A_y + B_y = A sin\theta_A + B sin\theta_B[/itex]

Thus the magnitude of A + B = [itex]\sqrt{(R_x^2 + R_y^2)}[/itex]
 

1. What is the difference between magnitude and direction?

Magnitude refers to the size or amount of something, while direction refers to the orientation or position of something. In the context of vectors, magnitude is the length or size of the vector, while direction is the angle or bearing of the vector.

2. How do you calculate the magnitude of a vector?

To calculate the magnitude of a vector, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that the magnitude (or length) of a vector is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of its components. In the case of A+B, the magnitude would be √(A² + B²).

3. How do you find the direction of a vector?

The direction of a vector can be found by using trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine, or tangent. These functions can help you find the angle or bearing of the vector in relation to a reference point or axis.

4. How do you add two or more vectors together?

To add vectors, you can use the parallelogram law or the head-to-tail method. In the parallelogram law, you draw the vectors as sides of a parallelogram and the diagonal of the parallelogram represents the resultant vector. In the head-to-tail method, you place the tail of one vector at the head of the other and draw a line from the tail of the first vector to the head of the last vector, representing the resultant vector.

5. What is the difference between vector addition and scalar addition?

Vector addition involves adding vectors with both magnitude and direction, while scalar addition involves adding quantities with only magnitude. In the context of A+B and 2A+3B, vector addition would involve adding the two vectors with both magnitude and direction, while scalar addition would involve multiplying the components of A and B by scalar values (2 and 3, respectively) and then adding them together.

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