Thread: four displacement vectors problem.

heres another physics displacement problem i'm having trouble with. I also included a drawing diagram to make it easier to see what is going on.

The magnitudes of the four displacement vectors shown in the drawing are A = 11.0 m, B = 11.0 m, C = 12.0 m, and D = 32.0 m.
what is the magnitude and directional angle for the resultant that occurs when these vectors are added together.

magnitude is:
and the directional angle is (in degrees)
(from the +x axis)

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2716/p142xd0.gif

thanks for any help you can offer here.

Originally Posted by rcmango

heres another physics displacement problem i'm having trouble with. I also included a drawing diagram to make it easier to see what is going on.

The magnitudes of the four displacement vectors shown in the drawing are A = 11.0 m, B = 11.0 m, C = 12.0 m, and D = 32.0 m.
what is the magnitude and directional angle for the resultant that occurs when these vectors are added together.

magnitude is:
and the directional angle is (in degrees)
(from the +x axis)

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2716/p142xd0.gif

thanks for any help you can offer here.

You have the given coordinate axes, so break the vectors down into their components:
and

and

etc.

Then add all the x components and y components together.

and


The magnitude of the resultant vector is


The reference angle is

and is in the fourth quadrant (as is positive and is negative.)

So your vector is 16.6 m at 88.6 degrees below the +x axis.

-Dan