# Math Help - Tangential Vector

1. ## Tangential Vector

Hello !

Can anyone help me out?

We all know what F(x,y) = ix + jy looks like when sketched out, as it is a simple radial vector pointing away from the origin with unit vectors in x and y as the components, but can anyone describe to me what G(x,y) = iy + jx looks like?

I have a suspicion it is a tangential vector but I cannot get my head around a unit vector in the x-direction pointing in the y-direction. Where am I going wrong?

Thanks !

2. Originally Posted by AeolianAlex
Hello !

Can anyone help me out?

We all know what F(x,y) = ix + jy looks like when sketched out, as it is a simple radial vector pointing away from the origin with unit vectors in x and y as the components, but can anyone describe to me what G(x,y) = iy + jx looks like?

I have a suspicion it is a tangential vector but I cannot get my head around a unit vector in the x-direction pointing in the y-direction. Where am I going wrong?

Thanks !
1. Draw some examples!

2. If you have

$\vec f = x \cdot \vec i + y \cdot \vec j$ and $\vec g = y \cdot \vec i + x \cdot \vec j$

then $\vec g$ is the image of $\vec f$ by refelection over the line y = x.

3. Thank you for your reply 'earboth'.

The part I was having trouble visualising was a unit vector in say the x-direction being defined in a direction perpindicular to it, say in the y-direction. But that isn't what is being denoted with (y.i) or (x.j), it is the magnitude that is being changed ! So, again, my thanks to you for clarifying my understanding.

Cheers
Alex