Find the resultant of two velocities 3m/s along east and 4m/s along no...
Finding the Resultant of Two Velocities
When two velocities act on an object at the same time, the resultant velocity is the vector sum of the two velocities. To find the resultant velocity, we need to:
- Identify the direction and magnitude of each velocity
- Convert the velocities into vector form
- Add the vectors using vector addition
- Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector
Given Information:
- Velocity 1: 3m/s along east
- Velocity 2: 4m/s along north
Converting Velocities into Vector Form
We can represent the given velocities as vectors in a two-dimensional coordinate system, where:
- East is the positive x-axis
- North is the positive y-axis
Velocity 1 can be represented as:
v1 = 3m/s i
where i is the unit vector in the direction of the positive x-axis.
Velocity 2 can be represented as:
v2 = 4m/s j
where j is the unit vector in the direction of the positive y-axis.
Adding the Vectors using Vector Addition
We can add the vectors using vector addition, where:
v = v1 + v2
Substituting the values of v1 and v2, we get:
v = 3m/s i + 4m/s j
We can represent v as a vector in the same coordinate system:
v = 3m/s i + 4m/s j = (3,4)
Finding the Magnitude and Direction of the Resultant Vector
The magnitude of the resultant vector can be found using the Pythagorean theorem:
|v| = sqrt(3^2 + 4^2) = 5m/s
The direction of the resultant vector can be found using trigonometry:
tan(theta) = 4/3
theta = tan^-1(4/3) = 53.13 degrees
Therefore, the resultant velocity is 5m/s at an angle of 53.13 degrees north of east.