What is the Resultant Distance and Direction of a Person's Vector Walk?

  • Thread starter cowgiljl
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    Vector
In summary, the conversation involved using a chart to find the distance and direction of a person walking 80.0 paces East, 50.0 paces 70.0 degrees North of East, 18 paces North, and 40 paces West. The final answer was 86.5 paces at 48.7 degrees North of East. There was some confusion about the directions and organization of the coordinates, but the problem was eventually solved.
  • #1
cowgiljl
63
1
a person walks 80.0 paces E
50.0 paces 70.0 degrees N of E
18 paces N
40 paces W

I made a chart

NS EW these are directions
0 +80
+47 +17.1 got this by using 50*sin70 and 50* cos 70
+18 0
0 -40
sum is
65 57.1

I redrew my vector digram

to find D (distance)
d^2 = 65^2 +57.1^2
d = 86.5 paces
tan-1 (65/57.1)
48.7 degrees

So the answer i got was 86.5 paces @ 48.7 degrees N of E

is that right?
 
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  • #2
Now if I sent you this message:
originally posted by cowgiljlNS EW these are directions
0 +80
+47 +17.1 got this by using 50*sin70 and 50* cos 70
+18 0
0 -40
sum is
65 57.1
would you have the slightest idea what in the world I'm talking about?

Why don't you post your question in some clear and orderly fashion, such as:
The x-coordinate is bla, bla, bla...

The y-coordinate is bla, bla, bla...

and so on, so people don't have to first figure out your secret code before they can even begin to think about the answer.

(Organizing your thoughts this way might even help you answer it yourself.)

Sorry if you think that's an unreasonably grumpy response.[b(]
 
  • #3
I agree with gnome, but I was able to break your secret code. (For some reason, you list y first, then x.)

You did it perfectly. :smile:
 
  • #4
sorry for the mass confusion but the prof like to us the north , south east and west for the directions and of course north and south and on the y-axis and E&W are on the X axis the reason i put the Y axis first is so when i am finding theata y/x seems simple in mind but i can see where i really messed up
 

1. What is a vector?

A vector is a mathematical representation of a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. It is typically represented by an arrow, with the length of the arrow representing the magnitude and the direction of the arrow representing the direction.

2. How are vector pathes and directions related?

Vector pathes and directions are closely related because a vector's direction is determined by the path it takes, or the angle it makes, from its starting point to its endpoint. The magnitude of the vector is also affected by the path it takes.

3. What is the difference between a vector's direction and its bearing?

A vector's direction is the angle it makes with a reference axis, typically the positive x-axis. Its bearing, on the other hand, is the direction it is pointing in relation to true north. Bearing is usually expressed in terms of degrees, while direction can be expressed in terms of both degrees and radians.

4. How do you calculate the magnitude of a vector?

The magnitude of a vector can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem, where the magnitude is equal to the square root of the sum of the squares of its components. For example, if a vector has components of 3 and 4, its magnitude would be √(3² + 4²) = √(9 + 16) = √25 = 5.

5. How can you determine the direction of a vector using its components?

The direction of a vector can be determined using the inverse tangent function, arctan(y/x), where y is the vertical component and x is the horizontal component. This will give the angle in radians, which can then be converted to degrees if desired.

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