Question

Let u = <-4, -3>. Find the unit vector in the direction of u, and write your answer in component form.

Answer 1

\[û = \frac{ u }{ \left| \left| u \right| \right| }\]

||u|| is the modulus of u. do you know how to find this?

Answer 2

No...

Answer 3

i meant to say magnitude not modulus. and the magnitude is the length of the vector

we have

\[u = <u_i , u_j > = <-4, -3>\]\[||u|| = \sqrt{u_i^2+ u_j^2}\]

are you familiar with i and j notation?

Answer 4

ummmm, no...I take this class online, I dont have a teacher to teach me this stuff

Answer 5

ok. well <i, j> is usually equivalent to <x , y>.

with the vector u = <-4, -3>

-4 is its x component [or i component]
-3 is its y component [or j]
vector looks like this


||u|| = 5

Answer 6

\[û = \frac{ <-4, -3> }{ 5 } = <-\frac{ 4 }{ 5 }, -\frac{ 3 }{ 5 }>\]

Answer 7

which is often written as:

\[û = -\frac{ 4 }{ 5 } i - \frac{ 3 }{ 5 }j\]