The x component of a vector is 8.7 units, and its y component is 06.5 units. What is the magnitude?

1 Answer
Meave60
Dec 1, 2015

The magnitude of the resultant is ~~"11 units".

Explanation:

Since one vector is on the x-axis and the other is on the y-axis, we can use a right triangle and the Pythagorean theorem to determine the magnitude of the resultant, which is the hypotenuse.

Pythagorean Theorem

c^2=a^2+b^2, where a=8.7 and b=6.5

c^2=(8.7^2+6.5^2)

Take the square root of both sides.

c=sqrt(8.7^2+6.5^2)

c=10.8~~"11 units" (rounded to two significant figures)

Note: The values for a and b could have been reversed with the same result.

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