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The magnitudes of two displacement vectors are A = 20 m and B = 6 m. What are the largest and the smallest values of the magnitude of the resultant →R=→A+→B?

a) Largest: 26 m; Smallest: 14 m
b) Largest: 16 m; Smallest: 14 m
c) Largest: 26 m; Smallest: 6 m
d) Largest: 16 m; Smallest: 6 m

User Maricka
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The largest magnitude of the resultant displacement vector →R is 26 m when the vectors A and B are in the same direction, and the smallest magnitude is 14 m when they are in opposite directions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The magnitudes of two displacement vectors A and B are given to be A = 20 m and B = 6 m, and you are asked to find the largest and smallest values of the magnitude of their resultant →R = →A + →B.

The largest value of →R occurs when the vectors A and B are pointed in the same direction, in which case their magnitudes simply add up, so the largest magnitude is 20 m + 6 m = 26 m.

The smallest value of →R happens when the vectors are pointed in exactly opposite directions, and thus their magnitudes subtract; the smallest magnitude is 20 m - 6 m = 14 m. Therefore, the answer is a) Largest: 26 m; Smallest: 14 m.

User Szmoore
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