Why Do Vehicles Moving North-South Have East-West Velocity Components?

In summary, a vector in physics is a quantity with both magnitude and direction, represented by an arrow. Displacement is a vector that measures change in position, while distance is a scalar that measures total path length. When a vector has components, it is broken down into its horizontal and vertical parts. Vector addition is performed by adding the components separately. The direction of a vector is important for understanding motion and interactions in physics.
  • #1
karush
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there are 5 more questions on this which are more complicated but want to get this (a) first. assume by speed they mean magnitude of the vector.

Toyundai speed is \(\displaystyle 30 \frac{km}{h} \)

Chryssalt speed is \(\displaystyle \approx 39 \frac{km}{h}\)
 
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  • #2
The arithmetic looks fine, but the question doesn't. Why do vehicles working north-south have east-west velocity components?
 

FAQ: Why Do Vehicles Moving North-South Have East-West Velocity Components?

1. What is a vector in physics?

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

2. How is displacement different from distance?

Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to the change in position of an object from its initial position to its final position. It takes into account both magnitude and direction. Distance, on the other hand, is a scalar quantity that refers to the total length of the path traveled by an object, without considering direction.

3. What does it mean for a vector to have components?

When a vector is represented in terms of its components, it means that it is being broken down into its horizontal and vertical parts. For example, in the given statement, the vector (1,0) km has a component of 1 km in the east direction and 0 km in the north direction.

4. How is vector addition performed?

Vector addition is performed by adding the components of the vectors separately. For example, to add the vectors (3,2) and (1,4), we add 3+1=4 for the horizontal components and 2+4=6 for the vertical components, resulting in the vector (4,6).

5. What is the importance of direction in vector quantities?

The direction of a vector is crucial in understanding the motion and interactions of objects in physics. It helps to determine the net force acting on an object, the direction of motion, and the orientation of an object in space.

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