Does anyone know why Pythagorean theorem can be applied on calculating velocity,after all velocity is not length

Question

anonymous · Answer

I mean why $$V ^{2}=vx ^{2}+vy ^{2}$$
Since it is not length we cannot apply Pythagorean theorem

anonymous · Answer

velocity is a vectorel quantity so whem you add their x and y components you must use vectorel adding.above formula gives you only magnitude not direction but velocity means both magnitude and direction

irishboy123 · Answer

Pythagoreas [not his invention, it has been known for a lot longer] is the most amazing way (think about it) of adding, or aggregating, things that move in different directions or dimensions, viz at right angles.

it can be distance (displacement), or speed (velocity), or acceleration, or even space-time (just add in (ct)^2).

it also works in the 3rd dimensions.

s^2 = x^2 + y^2 + z^2.

OR more accurately:

s^2 = x^2 + y^2 + z^2 + (ct)^2.

whpalmer4 · Answer

When you apply Pythagoras to $V^2 = vx^2 + vy^2$ you can consider them instead to be distances covered in unit time.  There's a 1:1 mapping between the quantity being calculated and the one to which you apply the PT.