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determine the x-coordinate of the vector if the magnitude is 70 lb, and the coordinate direction angles are alpha = 45 beta = 60 gamma = 120

User AminM
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

To determine the x-coordinate of the vector with a given magnitude and direction angles, you use the magnitude (70 lb) and the angle alpha (45 degrees). By calculating x = 70 lb * cos(45 degrees), you find the x-coordinate to be approximately 49.497 lb.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the x-coordinate of a vector with a given magnitude and coordinate direction angles, we can use the formula:

x = V * cos(\alpha)

where V is the magnitude of the vector and \alpha is the direction angle with respect to the x-axis.

Given:

  • Magnitude (V) = 70 lb
  • Alpha (\alpha) = 45°
  • Beta (\beta) = 60°
  • Gamma (\gamma) = 120°

However, these angles are more likely meant to specify the orientation of the vector in three-dimensional space, which uses the direction cosines to relate the vector components to its magnitude. Assuming the values are correct, we solve for the x-coordinate:

x = 70 lb * cos(45°)

When solving this with a calculator, we get:


x = 49.497 lb (rounded to three decimal places)

This is assuming we're following the standard Cartesian coordinate system where angles are measured from the respective positive axes.

User TheKvist
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