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Find the magnitude and direction (in degrees) of the vector. (Assume 0° ≤ θ < 360°. Round the direction to two decimal places.) \(\vec{v} = \langle -9, 40 \rangle\)

A. Magnitude: 41.23, Direction: 105.44°
B. Magnitude: 40.05, Direction: 271.34°
C. Magnitude: 9.05, Direction: 22.67°
D. Magnitude: 41.23, Direction: 288.56°

User Platon
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Final answer:

The magnitude of the vector \(\vec{v} = \langle -9, 40 \rangle\) is 41.23. The direction (angle) is 282.56°, which is computed by adding 180° to the arctan of y/x because the vector lies in the second quadrant.

Step-by-step explanation:

To find the magnitude and direction of the vector \(\vec{v} = \langle -9, 40 \rangle\), we first calculate the magnitude (also known as the length or norm of the vector), which is given by the formula:

\[\text{Magnitude} = \sqrt{-9^2 + 40^2} = \sqrt{81 + 1600} = \sqrt{1681} = 41.23\]

Next, we determine the direction (also called the angle) of the vector. This angle \(\theta\) can be found with respect to the positive x-axis using the arctan function (inverse tangent, also labeled as tan-1):

\[\theta = \text{tan}^{-1}\left(\frac{40}{-9}\right)\]

However, since the vector points to the second quadrant (where the x-component is negative and the y-component is positive), we must add 180° to get the correct direction:

\[\theta_{\text{corrected}} = \text{tan}^{-1}\left(\frac{40}{-9}\right) + 180°\]

By performing this calculation, we find:

\[\theta_{\text{corrected}} = \text{tan}^{-1}\left(\frac{40}{-9}\right) + 180° = 102.56° + 180° = 282.56°\]

Therefore, the correct option with the magnitude and direction of vector \(\vec{v}\) is:

  • Magnitude: 41.23
  • Direction: 282.56°

User Claudio Busatto
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