Velocity vector with constant acceleration and initial velocity

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
2 replies · 3K views
specwarop
Messages
10
Reaction score
0
Gday,

Just need a bit of help with this one. I have done the calcs and gotten the end answer as per the answers at the back of the book, but I am not quite understanding it.

--
A particle initially located at the origin has an acceleration of a=3.00j m/s^2 and an initial velocity of Vi=5.00i m/s. Find (a) the vector position and velocity at any time t and (b) the coordinates and speed of the particle at t=2.00sec.
---

Okay well i have worked it out and gotten this for the velocity, v = (5.00i + 6.00j)m/s. This is not the end answer. I then had to use Pythagoras and solve the above to get v= 7.81m.s. That is where I'm confused, why did I have to do that, and how is it related?
Any help appreciated
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Speed is the magnitude of the velocity. Simple as that really.