# Thread: resultant of vectors

1. ## resultant of vectors

Hi guys, this is my first post and i hope this is the correct thread to post in. I believe it is.

Find the resultant of the vectors
• 417∠11°
• 317∠87°
• 230∠154°
• 301∠304°

Give the angle between 0° and 360°.

2. ## Re: resultant of vectors

just convert them all to cartesian coordinates, add them, and convert the result back to polar coordinates.

3. ## Re: resultant of vectors

Originally Posted by kpae22
Hi guys, this is my first post and i hope this is the correct thread to post in. I believe it is.
Find the resultant of the vectors
• 417∠11°
• 317∠87°
• 230∠154°
• 301∠304°

Give the angle between 0° and 360°.
I have no idea what $417\angle 11^o$ could mean~? (I will not comment on using degrees).
Can you explain that notation please?

4. ## Re: resultant of vectors

Originally Posted by Plato
I have no idea what $417\angle 11^o$ could mean~? (I will not comment on using degrees).
Can you explain that notation please?
it's pretty obvious

A vector of length 417 that makes an 11 degree angle with the x-axis.

Hating degrees is like hating meters or pounds. It's just a unit.

5. ## Re: resultant of vectors

Given that the OP is using degrees, no reference to the axis the angle is made from, and posted this in the Pre-Calc Forum I'm betting pretty heavily that the OP is either taking a Physics class (or perhaps an Engineering class) and practically every Intro Physics text does something like this to the notation.

So from that standpoint all angles are measured from the +x axis.

@kpae22 : The first vector has a magnitude of 417 (in whatever units) at an 11 degree angle to the +x axis. This means that the rectangular components are
$\displaystyle v_x = 417 ~ cos(11) \approx 409.339$
$\displaystyle v_y = 417 ~ sin(11) \approx 79.567$

Do this with the other three vectors and then add the components.

-Dan