Velocity vector's change of direction

[boris16]

hi

If an object changes it's direction but not speed, then velocity vector will only change its direction but not magnitude.

* ... delta

*r... displacement vector

Formula for velocity change is *v = *r / *time

This formula doesn't tell us anything about the direction of *v, it tells us
only about its magnitude ?

Same could be said for acceleration vector a. Formula will only tell you acceleration vector's magnitude, but not it's direction ( well we do know the direction is same as *v, but since we don't know the direction of *v it's of little use ) ?

bye

 

[Tide]

The correct "formulas" are

$$\vec v = \frac {d \vec r}{dt}$$

$$\vec a = \frac {d \vec v}{dt}$$

These are vector quantities. If the direction of the velocity changes without changing the speed, the velocity and acceleration are perpendicular to each other.

 

[charng]

Hello,

Thank you for your response. Yes, you are correct. The formula for velocity change only tells us about its magnitude, not its direction. The direction of the velocity vector can only be determined by considering the change in direction of the displacement vector over time. Similarly, the direction of the acceleration vector can only be determined by considering the change in direction of the velocity vector over time. Both of these vectors are important for understanding an object's motion and how it changes over time.