Physics Flashcards
What is a vector
A quantity with a number and a direction
What is a scalar ?
A quantity with a magnitude only
Describe the tail to tip method
The tail to tip method is a way of calculating the sums (or subtractions) of vectors. Simply put the vectors tail to tip (flip the vectors for negative)
How does one break a vector into components
Choose two axes (vertical and horizontal or parallel and perpendicular) and use two vectors to represent the original vector
Which component of a vector will cos (theta) give you
Horizontal or perpendicular
How does one calculate the magnitude of a vector from its component
Square both component vector magnitude, add them, and square root the sun
How do the components of vectors add when two overall vectors are summed?
The components themselves simply sum
What does multiplying a vector by a negative number do ?
Change the magnitude and direction of the vector
When multiplying vectors, what type of product should be used to create a scalar
Dot product
What is a dot product
The product of the magnitudes of two vectors and the cosine of the angle between them
