Question

A vector has a magnitude of 10.0 centimeters and makes an angle of 60.0 degrees with the horizontal axis. What are the magnitudes of its horizontal and vertical components?

Answer 1

The length of the vector is 10.0 centimeters.

Vertical component:

(Ry) = R sin

= (10.0)(sin 60°)

= 8.7 cm

Horizontal component:

(Rx) = R cos

= (10.0)(cos 60°)

= 5.0 cm

Answer 2

Any vector can be written as components along positive X and positive Y axes.

So vector A can be written as
`Acos(\theta)i+Asin(\theta)j`, where
`\theta` is the angle between vector A and positive X axis

So vector A =
`10*cos(60)i+10*sin(60)j=5i+8.667j`

So components of vector B along X -axis =5 cm

along Y-axis = 8.667 cm