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Postsecondary • 3mo.

Hi,

Here's a problem on vectors:

image.png

As I was solving this question, I considered that vector B has a positive x and a negative y. However, I see that the correction considers the opposite, as shown below:

image.png
image.png

I can't seem to visualize why this is the case! I tried drawing the vector B in my graph (which I inserted below), and again, this aligns with my initial understanding.

image.png

Also, here are my calculations:

image.png


Did I make a mistake somewhere? Is it possible to explain this to me with a graph, please?

Thank you for your help!

Physics
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Explanations (1)

  • Explanation from Alloprof

    Explanation from Alloprof

    This Explanation was submitted by a member of the Alloprof team.

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    Team Alloprof • 3mo.

    Hi!

    Regarding the signs of the components of B, the x value is positive and the y value is negative. If we redraw the vector, we get:


    image.png


    Using trigonometry, the components are the same as shown in the correction.

    I hope this helps! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

    Have a nice day!

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