Resultant velocity from easterly and northerly components

In summary, the car's velocity is 38 m/s [E510N] (or, to the north of due east) with components of 24 m/s in the easterly direction and 30 m/s in the northerly direction. To find the magnitude of the velocity, we use the formula |\vec v| = \sqrt{v_x^2+v_y^2}, and to find the direction, we use the formula \theta = \arctan{\frac{v_y}{v_x}}. These formulas involve using trigonometry to find the total distance and direction of the car's movement. Remember that the magnitude of a vector is the square root of the sum of its components squared.
  • #1
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The easterly and northerly components of a car’s velocity are 24 m/s and 30 m/s, respectively. In what direction and with what speed is the car moving? In other words, what is car’s velocity. Hint: this question requires input from Trigonometry for the right angle triangle.
Thus, the car was moving with the velocity of 38 m/s [E510N] (or, to the north of due east).


I have no clue with this one ... can someone please help me?..
 
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  • #2
Velocity is a vector and we're given the components of the velocity vector. How do we find the magnitude of a vector?
 
  • #3
I don't know T.T
 
  • #4
Ok, forget about velocity for a second. Say we move 24m east, then move 30m north what's the total distance we have gone? On a coordinate system say we started at (0,0) now we're at (24,30) right? How do we find the total distance?
 
  • #5
what about thinking it as pathagorean theorem. Hypotenuse?
 
  • #6
Is there like a formula or something...? because its really confusing..
 
  • #7
The magnitude of a vector is the square root of the sum of its components squared. I'm sure you're confused by now, I know I'd be, so here's a usefull formula you should remember:

[tex]\vec v = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2}[/tex]
 
  • #8
We can use the distance formula which (kinda what antineutron is saying) will give us the distance.

Magnitude: [tex]|\vec v| = \sqrt{v_x^2+v_y^2}[/tex]

Direction: [tex]\theta = \arctan{\frac{v_y}{v_x}}[/tex]
 
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  • #9
ok i thinkk i get it ... Thank youvery much everyone. ^^
 

1. What is resultant velocity?

Resultant velocity is the overall or net velocity of an object, taking into account both its magnitude and direction. It is the vector sum of all individual velocities acting on the object.

2. How is resultant velocity calculated from easterly and northerly components?

Resultant velocity is calculated using the Pythagorean theorem, where the magnitude of the resultant velocity is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of the easterly and northerly components. The direction of the resultant velocity can be found using trigonometric functions such as tangent.

3. Can the resultant velocity be negative?

Yes, the resultant velocity can be negative. This occurs when the easterly and northerly components have opposite directions, resulting in a negative vector sum. The negative sign indicates that the object is moving in the opposite direction of the resultant velocity.

4. How does the angle between the easterly and northerly components affect the resultant velocity?

The angle between the easterly and northerly components can affect the magnitude and direction of the resultant velocity. If the angle is 0 degrees, the resultant velocity will be equal to the magnitude of the easterly component. As the angle increases, the magnitude of the resultant velocity decreases, and the direction changes accordingly.

5. Can there be more than two components in calculating the resultant velocity?

Yes, there can be more than two components in calculating the resultant velocity. The Pythagorean theorem and trigonometric functions can be used to find the resultant velocity of any number of components, as long as their magnitudes and directions are known.

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