Solving for Particle A's Speed with Respect to Particle B

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the speed of Particle A with respect to Particle B, given their respective vector velocities. It is clarified that the order of subtraction does not matter in this case.
  • #1
bluetriangle
7
0
Very simple question but I am confused... I am asked to find Particle A's speed with respect to Particle B. What does this mean?

I am given:
Particle A: (15i - 10j) or 18.03 m/s
Particle B: (5i + 15j) or 15.81 m/s

I just don't understand what I'm being asked to find and how to go about solving for it...
Thanks
 
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  • #2
bluetriangle said:
Very simple question but I am confused... I am asked to find Particle A's speed with respect to Particle B. What does this mean?

I am given:
Particle A: (15i - 10j) or 18.03 m/s
Particle B: (5i + 15j) or 15.81 m/s

I just don't understand what I'm being asked to find and how to go about solving for it...
Thanks

Welcome to the PF.

To get the speed of one "with respect to the other", just do a vector subtraction of their two vector velocities. :-)
 
  • #3
So if I'm trying to find Particle A in terms of B would I do A - B or B - A?
 
  • #4
It doesn't matter. Speed is absolute value.
 
  • #5
Oh that's true, silly me. Thankyou!
 

Related to Solving for Particle A's Speed with Respect to Particle B

1. What is a vector?

A vector is a mathematical object that represents both magnitude and direction. It can be used to describe physical quantities such as velocity, force, and displacement.

2. How is a vector different from a scalar?

A scalar only has magnitude, while a vector has both magnitude and direction. For example, speed is a scalar, but velocity is a vector because it includes both magnitude (speed) and direction.

3. How do you add or subtract vectors?

To add or subtract vectors, you must first break them down into their x and y components. Then, you can add or subtract the components separately to get the resulting vector. The magnitude of the resulting vector can be found using the Pythagorean theorem.

4. What is the difference between a position vector and a displacement vector?

A position vector describes the location of a point in space relative to a fixed reference point. A displacement vector describes the change in position of an object from its initial position to its final position.

5. Can vectors be multiplied?

Yes, there are two types of vector multiplication: dot product and cross product. The dot product results in a scalar value and the cross product results in a vector value.

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