Question
A vector with magnitude 10 points in a direction 235 degrees counterclockwise from the positive x axis Write the vector in component form.
Solution
4.2
(224 Votes)
Kaitlyn
Elite ยท Tutor for 8 years
Answer
To write the vector in component form, we need to use the magnitude and direction of the vector. The vector has a magnitude of 10 and points in a direction of 235 degrees counterclockwise from the positive x-axis.The component form of a vector
with magnitude
and direction
is given by:
Here,
and
.First, convert the angle from degrees to radians if necessary, but since most calculators can handle degrees directly, we'll proceed with degrees:
Now calculate the components:1. Calculate
: - \(\cos 235^\circ = \cos(180^\circ + 55^\circ) = -\cos 55^\circ\)2. Calculate
: - \(\sin 235^\circ = \sin(180^\circ + 55^\circ) = -\sin 55^\circ\)Using approximate values for
and
:-
-
Substitute these into the expressions:
Therefore, the vector in component form is approximately
.