Vector Question any suggestions?

In summary, the plane's displacement, average velocity, and average speed are all in the south east direction.
  • #1
kara
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A plane flies 483 km east from city A to city B in 45.0 min and then 966 kim south from city B to city C in 1.50 h. For the total trip, what are the magnitude and direction of the plane's displacement, the magnitude and direction of its average velocity, and its average speed?
 
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  • #2
It may be helpful to draw a diagram. Some pythag and trig may also be required...
 
  • #3
All you need is some simple vector addition:http://www.codesampler.com/d3dbook/chapter_02/chapter_02_files/image012.jpg" .
 
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  • #4
Would this be correct:

I calculated r the distance between points A and C by r = (483 km) + (- 966 km) to get - 483 km
So the planes magnitude was 483 km in the negative direction, or south east. Is this correct?
 
  • #5
Basic physics help

A plane flies 483 km east from city A to city B in 45.0 min and then 966 kim south from city B to city C in 1.50 h. For the total trip, what are the magnitude and direction of the plane's displacement, the magnitude and direction of its average velocity, and its average speed?

Would this be correct:

I calculated r the distance between points A and C by r = (483 km) + (- 966 km) to get - 483 km
So the planes magnitude was 483 km in the negative direction, or south east. Is this correct?
 
  • #6
kara said:
A plane flies 483 km east from city A to city B in 45.0 min and then 966 kim south from city B to city C in 1.50 h. For the total trip, what are the magnitude and direction of the plane's displacement, the magnitude and direction of its average velocity, and its average speed?

Would this be correct:

I calculated r the distance between points A and C by r = (483 km) + (- 966 km) to get - 483 km
So the planes magnitude was 483 km in the negative direction, or south east. Is this correct?

Nope, use Pythagoras's theorem to calculate the magnitude of the total displacement of the plane.
 
  • #7
ok.. so i used pythagorean theorem and got this:

r = 1080.020833 which i'll round to 1080 for 4 sig figs.

Now finding r gave the the magnitude would i use the tan formula to find direction?
 
  • #8
kara said:
ok.. so i used pythagorean theorem and got this:

r = 1080.020833 which i'll round to 1080 for 4 sig figs.

Now finding r gave the the magnitude would i use the tan formula to find direction?

Exactly. By the way, the 'arrow' points from A to C.
 
  • #9
Basic physics help

ok.. so i used pythagorean theorem and got this:

r = 1080.020833 which i'll round to 1080 for 4 sig figs.

Now finding r gave the the magnitude would i use the tan formula to find direction?


now i found the angle to be = tan-1 (966/483) and got 63.4 * but how do i know what direction its in?
If i draw the diagram on the cartesian plane i get the final location of the plane to be in the -y +x coordinate, so it would be in the south east direction? am i right?
 
  • #10
based on your last reply, what's the definition for magnitude?
b/c now I've got to find magnitude and direction for average velocity and then average speed
 
  • #11
kara said:
...
If i draw the diagram on the cartesian plane i get the final location of the plane to be in the -y +x coordinate, so it would be in the south east direction? am i right?

Yes, you're right. Again, look at the vector addition rule I linked somewhere above, it should make everything clear.
 
  • #12
Basic physics help

Alright, so to find the magnitude and direction of the plane's average velocity i used the vave = delta r/delta t formula to find average velocity for vx and vy and then i used pythagorean theorem to find v and i got 910.8 km/h... does that make any sense? Now I am assuming the direction would be exactly the same as before. And how do i calculate average speed?
 
  • #13
Here, this link should be useful: http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/GBSSCI/PHYS/CLASS/1DKin/U1L1d.html" .
 
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  • #14
Alright so based on the website you provided and my notes i calculated the average speed to be 644 km/h and the average velocity to be 214.7 km/h in the south east direction.

v = (483 + 966)/2.25 = 644 km/h

vave = (966-483)/2.25 = 214.7 km/h south east

What do you think??
 

FAQ: Vector Question any suggestions?

What is a vector?

A vector is a mathematical object that has both magnitude (size) and direction. It is commonly represented by an arrow pointing in the direction of the vector, with its length representing the magnitude.

How is a vector different from a scalar?

A scalar is a quantity that only has magnitude, while a vector has both magnitude and direction. Examples of scalars include temperature and mass, while examples of vectors include velocity and force.

What are some common applications of vectors?

Vectors have many applications in various fields, including physics, engineering, and computer graphics. They are used to represent physical quantities such as displacement, force, and acceleration, and also play a crucial role in vector calculus and linear algebra.

How are vectors represented mathematically?

In mathematics, vectors are commonly represented as ordered lists of numbers, called components. For example, a two-dimensional vector with components (3, 4) can be represented as v=(3,4).

Can vectors be added or multiplied together?

Yes, vectors can be added or multiplied together, but the operations are not the same as those for scalars. When vectors are added, their components are added separately. When multiplied, there are two common types of vector multiplication: dot product and cross product. The dot product results in a scalar, while the cross product results in a vector.

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