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    2 Dimensional Physics Components

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    nooluoit
    This document discusses how to break down forces acting in two-dimensional space into their x- and y-components. A force vector can be resolved into perpendicular components using trigonometric functions like cosine and sine. The cosine of the angle between the force and the x-axis gives the x-component, and the sine gives the y-component. Alternatively, cosine can be used to find the component collinear with the angle. These relationships allow forces to be analyzed using right triangles and trigonometric identities. Specifying the reference axis is important when defining angular measurements.

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    2 Dimensional Physics Components

    Uploaded by

    nooluoit
    266 views3 pages
    This document discusses how to break down forces acting in two-dimensional space into their x- and y-components. A force vector can be resolved into perpendicular components using trigonometric functions like cosine and sine. The cosine of the angle between the force and the x-axis gives the x-component, and the sine gives the y-component. Alternatively, cosine can be used to find the component collinear with the angle. These relationships allow forces to be analyzed using right triangles and trigonometric identities. Specifying the reference axis is important when defining angular measurements.

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    This document discusses how to break down forces acting in two-dimensional space into their x- and y-components. A force vector can be resolved into perpendicular components using trigonometric functions like cosine and sine. The cosine of the angle between the force and the x-axis gives the x-component, and the sine gives the y-component. Alternatively, cosine can be used to find the component collinear with the angle. These relationships allow forces to be analyzed using right triangles and trigonometric identities. Specifying the reference axis is important when defining angular measurements.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    266 views3 pages

    2 Dimensional Physics Components

    Uploaded by

    nooluoit
    This document discusses how to break down forces acting in two-dimensional space into their x- and y-components. A force vector can be resolved into perpendicular components using trigonometric functions like cosine and sine. The cosine of the angle between the force and the x-axis gives the x-component, and the sine gives the y-component. Alternatively, cosine can be used to find the component collinear with the angle. These relationships allow forces to be analyzed using right triangles and trigonometric identities. Specifying the reference axis is important when defining angular measurements.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    TwoDimensionalPhysicsComponents

    Letssayyouhaveavector(e.g.force)thatisdirectedinadiagonaldirection.Howdoyouwork
    withit?
    Ifaforceispointinginadirectionthatisnotalongthexoryaxis(Figure1),itisimportantto
    notethatitismadeupofcomponentsthatarepointinginthexandydirection(Figure2).
    Y

    F 1

    1,y

    F 1

    Figure1Figure2

    F1,x

    Whentheangle,,isbetweenthemainforce,F1,andthecomponentforceyouaretryingto
    determine,theformulaF1component=F1cosisused.Forexample,inFigure3,thexcomponent
    oftheforceisdeterminedbytheformula:F1x=F1cos

    F 1

    F1,x

    Figure3
    Todeterminetheothercomponentofthemainforce,useF1component2=F1sin.Therefore,in
    Figure4F1y=F1sin.

    F1,y

    F 1

    Figure4
    **Becarefulnottoalwaysassociatethexcomponentoftheforcewiththecosfunctionsince
    coscanalsobeusedtodeterminetheycomponent,providedtheangleisbetweenthemain
    forceanditsycomponent(Figure5).**

    F 1

    Figure5
    ThereforeinFigure5,F1y=F1cos.

    MemoryTrick

    Remembertoalwayscollapseontheangletogetthatspecificcomponent
    Meaning:usecoswhentheangleisbetweentheforceand
    thedesiredcomponent,andusesinotherwise.

    Notethatthesevectorcomponentsandthemainforcecanbearrangedinsuchawaytocreate
    arightangletriangle(Figure6).
    Y

    F 1

    F1,y

    Figure6 F1,x

    Thisarrangementallowstheuseofvariousequationssuchastrigonometricratios(SOHCAH
    TOA)orthePythagoreanTheorem(a2+b2=c2).Asaresult,iftwoofthesidesareknown,one
    cansolvefortheunknown,includingtheangle.
    Additionally,ifyouareaskedtofindthemetmagnitudeanddirectionofacombinationof2d
    forces,youcansolveforitbycombiningforcecomponentswiththerightangletriangleusing
    themethodsstatedabove.
    Notethatwhenstatingtheangle,youmustspecifywhereitiscomingfrom.

    F 1

    F 1

    50o
    50o

    Figure7Figure8
    Forexample,theangleforF1inFigure7is50ofromthepositivexaxis.FortheangleforF1in
    Figure8,itis50ofromthepositiveyaxis.

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