Question

Determine the resultant of this vector sum: 10 N at 045 degrees, and 8 N at 68 degrees

Answer 1

This isn't so bad. Have you had practice with these?

Answer 2

I can't do it with degrees :S

Answer 3

After a while, they'll become nearly routine!

Answer 4

Can you please go through the steps , i find these really confusing

Answer 5

Okay! So you've seen these? And have learned that any vector has separate components (x and y)?

Answer 6

We can draw a picture, if you like. Let's look at the first vector, 10N. Sound good?

Answer 7

Okay ! :)

Answer 8

Alright!

There's the vector in one piece.

Answer 9

How do we know that it's NE ?

Answer 10

That is the trick with degrees, and all you have to remember is this - and it'll be in the next picture. You're working with two dimensional space, here. A great way to draw this is the x and y axes that I bet you're familiar with. Everything has an x and y component, like the vectors. And people like to use angles! So they decided on a common place to start the angle, and where to go from there.

I'll show you.

Answer 11

OH so that's the common starting point ?

Answer 12

That's the convention. Convention just means it's a proper way to do it in some organization of math rules. So pretty much everybody does this.

You could make up your own convention, but it'd be hard to explain it to the rest of us :P

Answer 13

Yep! Angle measures start from there if no other information is given!

Answer 14

ohhh okay

Answer 15

Now, a person might say, "10 degrees west of north" or something silly like that. That means....