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MTH 254 Introduction to Vectors in 2D

A VECTOR is a mathematical quantity with both magnitude and direction, represented with a directed line segment, or an arrow.
  • A standard position vector has its initial point at the origin and its terminal point at (a, b).
  • The components of a standard position vector are given as .
  • The magnitude (length) of vector is denoted as .
  • The direction angle is the angle the vector makes with the positive x-axis.
For a standard position vector, the components, direction angle, and magnitude can be calculated using right-triangle trigonometry: Components: Direction: Magnitude: Interactive Graph: Move the yellow dot to adjust the vector. Reason out the components of the vector and verify you can calculate the components, the direction angle, and the magnitude of a standard position vector.