Solving for Force Components: Magnitude & Direction | 640 N, 39° North of East

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In summary, the given force vector has a magnitude of 640 N and a direction of 39° north of east. To determine the magnitude and direction of the components of the force along the north-south and east-west lines, the values of cos(39) and sin(39) were used to calculate the magnitudes of 497.4 and 402.8, respectively. However, there may be a sig fig error and it is recommended to input 497 and 403 as the magnitudes in webassign to avoid any mistakes.
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A force vector has a magnitude 640 N and a direction of 39° north of east. Determine the magnitude and direction of the components of the force that point along the north-south line and along the east-west line.

North-south component:

East-west component:

I know that the direction of these two components are north and east, but for the magnitudes i got 497.4 and 402.8, respectively. I used cos(39)640 and sin(39)640. Please if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated, this question is for a webassign. Thank you very much
 
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I have a feeling its a sig fig error...do I put 497 and 403 into webassign instead? I just really don't want to get this question wrong for something stupid...
 

FAQ: Solving for Force Components: Magnitude & Direction | 640 N, 39° North of East

What is a vector?

A vector is a mathematical quantity that has both magnitude (size or length) and direction. It is often represented by an arrow, with the length of the arrow representing the magnitude and the direction of the arrow indicating the direction.

What is the difference between a scalar and a vector?

Unlike scalar quantities, which only have magnitude, vectors have both magnitude and direction. For example, temperature is a scalar quantity as it only has a numerical value, while velocity is a vector quantity as it has both magnitude (speed) and direction.

How are vectors represented?

Vectors can be represented in various ways, including geometrically (using arrows), algebraically (using coordinates), or in component form (using numbers and unit vectors).

What is the difference between a position vector and a displacement vector?

A position vector represents the location of a point in space relative to a fixed reference point, while a displacement vector represents the change in position of an object from its initial position to its final position.

What are some common operations performed with vectors?

Some common operations performed with vectors include addition, subtraction, scalar multiplication, dot product, cross product, and finding the magnitude and direction of a vector.

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