2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

s reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they

currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
57
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics

Answers to Even-Numbered Conceptual Questions

2. Vectors

r
A ,

r
G , and

r
J are all equal to one another. In addition, vector

r
I is the same as vector

r
L .
4. No. The component and the magnitude can be equal if the vector has only a single component. If the vector
has more than one nonzero component, however, its magnitude will be greater than either of its components.
6. No. If a vector has a nonzero component, the smallest magnitude it can have is the magnitude of the
component.
8. The vectors
r
A and
r
B must point in the same direction.
10. The vector
r
A can point in the following directions: 45, 135, 225, and 315. In each of these directions

A
x
= A
y
.
12. Two vectors of unequal magnitude cannot add to zero, even if they point in opposite directions. Three
vectors of unequal magnitude can add to zero if they can form a triangle.
14. When sailing upwind, your speed relative to the wind is greater than the speed of the wind itself. If you sail
downwind, however, you move with the wind, and its speed relative to you is decreased.


Answers to Even-Numbered Conceptual Exercises

2. The vectors, in order of increasing magnitude (length), are

r
B ,

r
C ,

r
A , and

r
D .
4. The vectors, in order of increasing y component, are
r
D ,
r
B ,
r
A , and
r
C . In arriving at this ranking, we note
that the y component of
r
D is negative, the y component of
r
B is zero, and the y components of
r
A and
r
C are
increasingly positive.
6. (a) The magnitude of

1.4
r
A is equal to the magnitude of

2.2
r
B . These vectors point in different directions,
however. (b) The x component of

1.4
r
A is less than the y component of

2.2
r
B because the x component is
negative. The two components have the same magnitude, however.
8. (a) The magnitude of
r
A +
r
D is less than the magnitude of
r
A +
r
E . (b) The magnitude of
r
A +
r
E is equal to
the magnitude of
r
A +
r
F .
10. The vector

r
B points into the fourth quadrant, and hence its direction angle is between 270 and 360.
Therefore, the answer is (d).
12. (a) Vectors 1 and 5 are position vectors. (b) Vectors 2, 3, 7, and 8 are velocity vectors. (c) Vectors 4 and 6
are acceleration vectors.









Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
58
Solutions to Problems

1. Picture the Problem: The press box is 38.0 ft above second base
and an unknown horizontal distance away.

Strategy: Use the tangent function to determine the horizontal
distance.

Solution: Use the tangent
function to find x:
38.0 ft
142 ft
tan tan15.0
y
x

= = =

Insight: Dividing distances into right triangles in this manner is an important strategy for solving physics problems.

2. Picture the Problem: You drive 1.2 miles along an inclined
roadway, gaining 530 ft of altitude.
Strategy: Use the sine function to determine the angle and then the
additional distance x along the hypotenuse.

Solution: 1. (a) Apply the sine
function:
530 ft
sin
1.2 mi 5280 ft/mi
y
s
= =

2. Now solve for 1
530 ft
sin 4.8
6300 ft/mi

| |
= =
|
\


3. (b) Use the known angle together with the sine function to find x:
150 ft
1800 ft 0.34 mi
sin sin 4.8
y
x

= = = =

Insight: It may be helpful for you to review the trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent before tackling other
problems in this chapter.

3. Picture the Problem: The road gains 6 ft in altitude for every 100 ft it
spans in the horizontal direction..
Strategy: Use the tangent function to determine the angle.

Solution: Apply the tangent function:
1
6 ft
sin tan 3
100 ft
y
x


| |
= = =
|
\

Insight: It may be helpful for you to review the trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent before tackling other
problems in this chapter.

4. Picture the Problem: The vector direction is
measured counterclockwise from the +x axis.

Strategy: In each case find the vector
components.

Solution: 1. (a) Find the x and y components:
( )
( )
cos 75 m cos35.0 61 m
sin 75 m sin35.0 43 m
x
y
r r
r r

= = =
= = =


2. (b) Find the x and y components:
( )
( )
cos 75 m cos 65.0 32 m
sin 75 m sin 65.0 68 m
x
y
r r
r r

= = =
= = =

Insight: Resolving vectors into their components is an important skill for solving physics problems.


x
y
35.0
r
r
x
y
65.0
r
r

(a) (b)
15.0
38.0 ft
x

530 ft
1.2 mi
150 ft
x

6 ft
100 ft
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
59
5. Picture the Problem: The base runner travels from C (home plate)
to first base, then to A (second base), then to B (third base), and
finally back to C (home plate).


Strategy: The displacement vector r
r
is the same as the position
vector r
r
if we take home plate to be the origin of our coordinate
system (as it is drawn). The displacement vector for a runner who
has just hit a double is drawn.
Solution: 1. (a) Write the displacement vector
from C to A in terms of its x and y components:
( ) ( )
90 ft 90 ft = + r x y
r

2. (b) Write the displacement vector from C to B
in terms of its x and y components:
( ) ( ) ( )
0 ft 90 ft 90 ft = + = r x y y
r


3. (c) For a home run the displacement is zero:
( ) ( )
0 ft 0 ft = + r x y
r

Insight: The displacement is always zero when the object (or person) returns to its original position.


6. Picture the Problem: The ship approaches the rocks as depicted
in the picture.

Strategy: The distance to the rocks can be determined from a
right triangle that extends from the sailor to the top of the
lighthouse to the base of the lighthouse and back to the sailor.
Find the length of the bottom of that triangle and subtract 19 ft to
determine the distance to the rocks.

Solution: 1. Use the tangent function to find the distance L:
( ) ( ) 49 14 ft 35 ft
tan30 61 ft
tan30
L
L

= = =

2. Subtract 19 ft from L to find the distance to the rocks:
19 ft 61 19 ft 42 ft d L = = =
Insight: Identifying right triangles and manipulating the trigonometric functions are important skills to learn when
solving physics problems.


7. Picture the Problem: The water molecule forms a triangle with the positions of the
oxygen and hydrogen nuclei as shown.

Strategy: Break the triangle up into two right triangles and use the sine function to find
the distance between the hydrogen nuclei. The angle is half of the 104.5 bond angle,
or = 52.25.

Solution: 1. Use the sine function to find the
distance d:
sin
0.96
d
=

2. The distance between hydrogen nuclei is 2d:
( ) ( ) 2 2 0.96 sin 52.25 1.5 d = =
Insight: Identifying right triangles and manipulating the trigonometric functions are important skills to learn when
solving physics problems.


r
r
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
60
8. Picture the Problem: The given vector components correspond to the vector r
r
as drawn at
right.

Strategy: Use the inverse tangent function to determine the angle . Then use the Pythagorean
Theorem to determine the magnitude of r
r
.

Solution: 1. (a) Use the inverse tangent function
to find the distance angle :
1
9.5
tan 34
14

| |
= =
|
\
or 34 below
the +x axis

2. (b) Use the Pythagorean Theorem to
determine the magnitude of r
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
14 m 9.5 m
17 m
x y
r r r
r
= + = +
=


3. (c) If both
x
r and
y
r are doubled, the
direction will remain the same but the magnitude
will double:
( ) ( )
1
2 2
9.5 2
tan 34
14 2
28 m 19 m 34 m r

| |
= =
|

\
= + =

Insight: Any vector can be resolved into two components. The ability to convert a vector to and from its components is
an essential skill for solving many physics problems.

9. Picture the Problem: The given vector components correspond to the vector r
r
as drawn at
right.

Strategy: Determine the angle from our knowledge of analog clocks. The given component
x
r together with the angle will allow us to calculate the length of r and the component
y
r .
Solution: 1. (a) Find the angle :
1
360 30
12
= =

2. Find the length of r:
3.0 cm
cos 3.5 cm
cos cos 30
x
x
r
r r r

= = = =
o


3. (b) The components
x
r and
y
r are only equal when =45. Since in this case =30, the component
y
r will be
less than
x
r or 3.0 cm.

4. (c) Find
y
r :
( ) sin 3.5 cm sin30 1.7 cm
y
r r = = =
o

Insight: Any vector can be resolved into two components. The ability to convert a vector to and from its components is
an essential skill for solving many physics problems.

10. Picture the Problem: The trip takes you toward the east first and then
toward the north. The vector is depicted at right.
Strategy: Use the Pythagorean Theorem to determine the magnitude and
the inverse tangent function to determine the angle.

Solution: 1. (a) Find the magnitude of r
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
660 ft 370 ft 760 ft r = + =
2. (b) I estimate an angle of close to 30 because such an angle would correspond to a north component that is half as
large as the east component.

3. (c) Use the inverse tangent function to find :
1
370 ft
tan 29
660 ft

| |
= =
|
\

Insight: It may be helpful for you to review the trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent before tackling other
problems in this chapter.

x
y
r
r

II
III
I
XII
x
y
r
r
14 m
9.5 m
3.0 cm

370 ft
660 ft
r
r
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
61
11.
Picture the Problem: The two vectors A
r
(length 50 units) and B
r
(length 120 units) are drawn
at right.


Strategy: Resolve B
r
into its x and y components to answer the questions.

Solution: 1. (a) Find B
x
:
( ) 120 units cos 70 41 units
x
B = =

2. Since the vector A
r
points entirely in the x direction, we can see that A
x
= 50 units and that
vector A
r
has the greater x component.

3. (b) Find B
y
: ( ) 120 units sin 70 113 units
x
B = =

4. The vector A
r
has no y component, so it is clear that vector B
r
has the greater y component.
Insight: Any vector can be resolved into two components. The ability to convert a vector to and from its components is
an essential skill for solving many physics problems.

12. Picture the Problem: The four possible locations of the treasure are
labeled A, B, C, and D in the figure at right. The position vector for location
A is also drawn. North is up and east is to the right.


Strategy: Use the vector components to find the magnitude and direction
of each vector.

Solution: 1. Find the magnitude of A
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
25.0 m 12.0 5.00 m 30.2 m A = + + =

2. Find the direction from north of A
r
:
1
25.0 m
tan 55.8 west of north
12.0 5.00 m
A

| |
= =
|
+
\


3. Find the magnitude of B
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
25.0 m 12.0 5.00 m 26.0 m B = + =

4. Find the direction from north of B
r
:
1
25.0 m
tan 74.4 west of north
12.0 5.00 m
B

| |
= =
|

\


5. Find the magnitude of C
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
25.0 m 12.0 5.00 m 30.2 m C = + + =

6. Find the direction from north of C
r
:
1
25.0 m
tan 55.8 east of north
12.0 5.00 m
C

| |
= =
|
+
\


7. Find the magnitude of D
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
25.0 m 12.0 5.00 m 26.0 m D = + =

8. Find the direction from north of D
r
:
1
25.0 m
tan 74.4 east of north
12.0 5.00 m
D

| |
= =
|

\

Insight: If you ever find a treasure map like this one, youll be glad you mastered vectors in physics!

13. Picture the Problem: The whale dives along a straight line tilted 20.0
below horizontal for 150 m as shown in the figure.

Strategy: Resolve the whales displacement vector into horizontal and
vertical components in order to find its depth r
y
and its horizontal travel
distance r
x
.

Solution: 1. (a) The depth is given by r
y
: ( ) ( ) sin 150 m sin 20.0 51 m
y
r r = = =
2. (b) The horizontal travel distance is given by r
x
:
( ) ( ) cos 150 m cos 20.0 140 m 0.14 km
x
r r = = = =
Insight: Note that both answers are limited to two significant figures, because although 20.0 has three, 150 m has
only two significant figures.

x
y
B
r
A
r
70
12.0 m
25.0 m 25.0 m
5.00 m
A
B
C
D
palm tree
A
r
A
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
62
14. Picture the Problem: The two vectors A
r
(length 50.0 m) and B
r
(length 70.0 m) are drawn
at right.


Strategy: Add vectors A
r
and B
r
using the vector component method.

Solution: 1. (a) A sketch of the vectors and their sum is shown at right.

2. (b) Add the x components: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 50.0 m cos 20.0 70.0 m cos 50.0 92.0 m
x x x
C A B = + = + =

3. Add the y components: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 50.0 m sin 20.0 70.0 m sin 50.0 36.5 m
y y y
C A B = + = + =

4. Find the magnitude of C: ( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
92.0 m 36.5 m 99.0 m
x y
C C C = + = + =

5. Find the direction of C:
1 1
36.5 m
tan tan 21.7
92.0 m
y
C
x
C
C

| |
| |
= = =
| |
\
\

Insight: Resolving vectors into components takes a little bit of extra effort, but you can get much more accurate answers
using this approach than by using a ruler and protractor to add the vectors graphically.


15. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at right.
The control tower (CT) is at the origin and north is up in the diagram.


Strategy: Subtract vector B
r
from A
r
using the vector component method.

Solution: 1. (a) A sketch of the vectors and their difference is shown at right.

2. (b) Subtract the x components: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 220 km cos 180 32 140 km cos 90 65 310 km
x x x
D A B = = =

3. Subtract the y components: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 220 km sin 180 32 140 km sin 90 65 57 km
y y y
D A B = = =

4. Find the magnitude of D: ( ) ( )
2 2
2 2 5
310 km 57 km 320 km 3.2 10 m
x y
D D D = + = + = =

5. Find the direction of D:
1 1
57 km
tan tan 10 180 170 or 10 north of west
310 km
y
D
x
D
D

| |
| |
= = = + =
| |

\
\

Insight: Resolving vectors into components takes a little bit of extra effort, but you can get much more accurate answers
using this approach than by adding the vectors graphically. Notice, however, that when your calculator returns 10 as
the angle in step 5, you must have a picture of the vectors in your head (or on paper) to correctly determine the direction.


16. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at
right.


Strategy: Subtract vector
i
v
r
from
f
v
r
using the vector component method.

Solution: 1. (a) A sketch of the vectors and their difference is shown at
right.

2. (b) Subtract the x components:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
f , i,
66 km/h cos 75 45 km/h cos 0 28 km/h
x x x
v v v = = =

3. Subtract the y components:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
f , i,y
66 km/h sin 75 45 km/h sin 0 64 km/h
y y
v v v = = =

4. Find the magnitude of v : ( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
28 km/h 64 km/h 70 km/h
x y
v v v = + = + =
C
r
x
y
B
r
A
r
20.0
50.0
x
y
f
v
r
i
v
r
75
i
v
r
v
r

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
63

5. Find the direction of v :
1 1
64 km/h
tan tan 66 180 114
28 km/h
y
v
x
v
v

| |
| |
= = = + =
| |

\
\
where the angle is
measured counterclockwise from the positive x axis.
Insight: Resolving vectors into components takes a little bit of extra effort, but you can get much more accurate answers
using this approach than by adding the vectors graphically. Notice, however, that when your calculator returns 66 as
the angle in step 5, you must have a picture of the vectors in your head (or on paper) to correctly determine the direction.



17. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at right.


Strategy: Deduce the x and y components of B
r
from the information given about A
r

and C
r
. Use the known components to estimate the length and direction of B
r
as well
as calculate them precisely.
Solution: 1. (a) A sketch of the vectors is shown at right.

2. (b) The vector B
r
must have an x component of 75 m so that when it is added to
A
r
the x components will cancel out. It must also have a y component of 95 m
because that is the length of C
r
and A
r
has no y component to contribute. Therefore
B
r
must be longer than either A
r
or C
r
and it must have an angle of greater than 90.
I estimate that its length is about 120 m and that it points at about 130.

3. (c) Using the known components of B
r

we can find its magnitude:
2 2
( 75 m) (95 m) 121 m B = + =


4. Find the direction of B
r
:
1
95 m
tan 52 180 128
75 m
B

| |
= = + =
|
\


Insight: Here the length and direction of B
r
are determined by its x and y components, which are determined from A
r

and C
r
. Learning to manipulate vector components will be a useful skill when tackling many physics problems.



18. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at right.


Strategy: Since A
r
points entirely in the x direction, and B
r
points entirely in the y
direction, A
r
and B
r
are the x and y components of their sum + A B
r r
. Use the known
lengths of + A B
r r
and A
r
to find B.

Solution: 1. Set the length of
+ A B
r r
equal to 37 units:
2 2
2 2 2
37
37
A B
A B
= +
= +


2. Solve for B:
( )
2 2 2 2
37 37 22 30 units B A = = =


Insight: Here the length of B
r
is determined by the lengths of the other two vectors because the directions of A
r
and B
r

are stipulated. Learning to manipulate vector components will be a useful skill when tackling many physics problems.







x
y
B
r

A
r

+ A B
r r
22 O
30
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
64
19. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at
right.

Strategy: Use the vector component method of addition and subtraction to
determine the components of each combination of A
r
and B
r
. Once the
components are known, the length and direction of each combination can
be determined fairly easily.


Solution: 1. (a) Determine the components of + A B
r r
:
( ) ( )
5 10 10 5 + = + = A B y x x y
r r


2. Find the magnitude of + A B
r r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
10 5 11 units + = + = A B
r r


3. Determine the direction of + A B
r r
, measured
counterclockwise from the positive x axis.
1
5
tan 27 or 333
10

+
| |
= =
|
\
A B
r r


4. (b) Determine the components of A B
r r
:
( ) ( )
5 10 10 5 = = A B y x x y
r r


5. Find the magnitude of A B
r r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
10 5 11 units = + = A B
r r


6. Determine the direction of A B
r r
, measured
counterclockwise from the positive x axis.
1
5
tan 27 180 207
10

| |
= = + =
|

\
A B
r r


7. (c) Determine the components of B A
r r
:
( ) ( )
10 5 10 5 = = + B A x y x y
r r


8. Find the magnitude of B A
r r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
10 5 11 units = + = B A
r r


9. Determine the direction of B A
r r
, measured
counterclockwise from the positive x axis.
1
5
tan 27
10

| |
= =
|
\
B A
r r


Insight: This problem is simplified by the fact that A
r
and B
r
have only one component each, but a similar approach
will work even with more complicated vectors. Notice that you must have a picture of the vectors in your head (or on
paper) in order to correctly interpret the directions in steps 3, 6, and 9.



20. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are
depicted at right.

Strategy: Add the vectors using the component method in order to
find the components of the vector sum. Use the components to find
the magnitude and the direction of the vector sum.

Solution: 1. (a) Make estimates from the drawing:
20 m 1.5 + + A B C
r r r


2. (b) Add the vector components: ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
0 20.0 m cos 45 7.0 m cos 30
10.0 m 20.0 m sin 45 7.0 m sin 30
20.2 m 0.64 m
+ + = + + + (

+ + (

+ + = +
A B C x
y
A B C x y
r r r
r r r

+ A B
r r

+ A B
r r

A B
r r

B A
r r
x
y
B
r
A
r

O
10
5
B A
r r
A B
r r
C
r
x
y
B
r

A
r

+ + A B C
r r r


45
30
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
65

3. Use the components to find the magnitude:
( ) ( )
2 2
20.2 m 0.64 m 20.2 m + + = + = A B C
r r r


4. Use the components to find the angle:
1
0.64 m
tan 1.8
20.2 m

| |
= =
|
\

Insight: Resolving vectors into components takes a little bit of extra effort, but you can get much more accurate answers
using this approach than by adding the vectors graphically. Notice, however, that when your calculator returns the angle
of 1.8 in step 4, you must have a picture of the vectors in your head (or on paper) to correctly determine the direction.

21. Picture the Problem: The vector involved in the problem is depicted at right.

Strategy: Determine the x and y components of and then express them in terms of the unit
vectors.

Solution: 1. Find the x and y components of r
r
: ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
54 m cos 42 40 m
54 m sin 42 36 m
x
y
r
r
= =
= =
o
o

2. Now express r
r
in terms of the unit vectors:
( ) ( )
40 m 36 m = + r x y
r


Insight: In general, an arbitrary two-dimensional vector A
r
can always be written as the sum of a vector component in
the x direction and a vector component in the y direction.

22. Picture the Problem: The vector involved in the problem is depicted at right.


Strategy: Determine the x and y components of A
r
.

Solution: 1. Find the x component:
( ) ( ) 2.5 m cos 140 1.9 m
x
A = =


2. Find the y component: ( ) ( ) 2.5 m sin 140 1.6 m
y
A = =
Insight: Any vector can be resolved into two components. The ability to convert a vector to and from its components is
an essential skill for solving many physics problems.

23. Picture the Problem: The vector A
r
has a length of 6.1 m and points in the negative x direction.
Strategy: In order to multiply a vector by a scalar, you need only multiply each component of the vector by the same
scalar.

Solution: 1. (a) Multiply each component of A
r
by 3.7:
( )
( )( ) ( )
6.1 m
3.7 3.7 6.1 m 23 m so 23 m
x
A
=
= = = (

A x
A x x
r
r

2. (b) Since A
r
has only one component, its magnitude is simply 23 m.
Insight: Multiplying both components of a vector by a scalar will change the length of the vector but not its direction.

24. Picture the Problem: The vector 5.2 A
r
has a length of 44 m and points in the positive x direction.

Strategy: Divide the components of the vector 5.2 A
r
by 5.2 in order to find the components of A
r
. From there we
can easily find the x component and the magnitude of A
r
.

Solution: 1. (a) Divide both sides by 5.2: 5.2 (44 m)
( 8.5 m)
=
=
A x
A x
r
r


2. The vector A
r
has only an x component:
8.5 m
x
A =

3. (b) Since A
r
has only one component, its magnitude is simply 8.5 m.
Insight: Dividing both components of a vector by a scalar will change the length of the vector but not its direction.

A
r

x
y
140
r
r

x
y
54 m
42
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
66
25. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at right.
Strategy: Determine the lengths and directions of the various vectors by using their
x and y components.

Solution: 1. (a) Find the direction of A
r

from its components:
1
2.0 m
tan 22
5.0 m

| |
= =
|
\
A
r


2. Find the magnitude of A
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
5.0 m 2.0 m 5.4 m A = + =

3. (b) Find the direction of B
r
from its
components:
1
5.0 m
tan 68 180 110
2.0 m

| |
= = + =
|
\
B
r


4. Find the magnitude of B
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
2.0 m 5.0 m 5.4 m B = + =

5. (c) Find the components of + A B
r r
:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
5.0 2.0 m 2.0 5.0 m 3.0 m 3.0 m + = + + = + A B x y x y
r r


6. Find the direction of + A B
r r
from its
components:
1
3.0 m
tan 45
3.0 m

+
| |
= =
|
\
A B
r r


7. Find the magnitude of + A B
r r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
3.0 m 3.0 m 4.2 m + = + = A B
r r

Insight: In the world of vectors 5.4+5.4 m can be anything between 0 m and 10.8 m, depending upon the directions that
the vectors point. In this case their sum is 4.2 m.



26. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: Determine the lengths and directions of the various vectors by using their x
and y components.

Solution: 1. (a) Find the direction of
A
r
from its components:
1
12 m
tan 26
25 m

| |
= =
|
\
A
r


2. Find the magnitude of A
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
25 m 12 m 28 m A = + =

3. (b) Find the direction of B
r
from its
components:
1
15 m
tan 82
2.0 m

| |
= =
|
\
B
r


4. Find the magnitude of B
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
2.0 m 15 m 15 m B = + =

5. (c) Find the components of + A B
r r
: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
25 2.0 m 12 15 m 27 m 3.0 m + = + + + = + A B x y x y
r r


6. Find the direction of + A B
r r
from its
components:
1
3.0 m
tan 6.3
27 m

+
| |
= =
|
\
A B
r r


7. Find the magnitude of + A B
r r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
27 m 3.0 m 27 m + = + = A B
r r

Insight: In the world of vectors 28 + 15 m can be anything between 13 m and 43 m, depending upon the directions that
the vectors point. In this case their sum is 27 m.



+ A B
r r

+ A B
r r

x
y
B
r
A
r
2.0 m 5.0 m
O

2.0 m
+ A B
r r

x
y
B
r
A
r

O 25 m

12 m

+ A B
r r
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
67
27. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at
right.

Strategy: Since the components of the vectors are known, we need only
add or subtract the components separately as specified in the problem
statement.
Solution: 1. (a) Subtract the
components:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
25 m2 m 12 m15 m
23 m 27 m
= +
=
A B x y
x y
r r

2. (b) Multiply the answer to
part (a) by 1:
( ) ( ) ( )
23 m 27 m = = + B A A B x y
r r r r
Insight: Adding and subtracting vectors in component form is often easier
than doing so graphically.

28. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at
right.

Strategy: Use the information given in the figure to determine the
components of each vector.

Solution: 1.
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1.5 m cos 40 1.5 m sin 40
1.1 m 0.96 m
= +
= +
A x y
A x y
r
r

2.
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2.0 m cos 19 2.0 m sin 19
1.9 m 0.65 m
=
= +
B
B x y
r
r

3.
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1.0 m cos 180 25 1.0 m sin 180 25
0.91 m 0.42 m
= +
= +
C x y
C x y
r
r

4.
( )
0 1.5 m = + D x y
r

Insight: Any vector can be resolved into two components. The ability to convert a vector to and from its components is
an essential skill for solving many physics problems.

29. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in the problem are depicted at
right.

Strategy: Use the information given in the figure to determine the
components of vectors , , and A B C
r r r
. Then add the components.
Solution: 1. Add the x
component of each vector:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( )
1.5 m cos 40 1.1 m
2.0 m cos 19 1.9 m
1.0 m cos 180 25 0.91 m
2.1 m
x
x
x
x
A
B
C
= =
= =
= =
+ + = A B C
r r r

2. Add the y component of
each vector:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( )
1.5 m sin 40 0.96 m
2.0 m sin 19 0.65 m
1.0 m sin 180 25 0.42 m
0.74 m
y
y
y
y
A
B
C
= =
= =
= =
+ + = A B C
r r r


3. Express the sum in unit vector notation:
( ) ( )
2.1 m 0.74 m + + = + A B C x y
r r r

Insight: In this problem the vector component method of addition is much quicker than the graphical method.

25 m
O

A
r

12 m
A B
r r
y
x
B A
r r

A
r
B
r
B
r

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
68
30. Picture the Problem: The two vectors involved in this problem are
depicted in the figure at right.

Strategy: Use the checkerboard squares as a coordinate grid to write
vectors 1 and 2 in component form. Then use the components to determine
the magnitude and direction of each vector.

Solution: 1. (a) Because each vector has components of length 3.5 cm and
7.0 cm, the magnitude of displacement 1 will be equal to the magnitude of
displacement 2.
2. (b) Find the components of each vector:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
1
2
7.0 cm 3.5 cm
3.5 cm 7.0 cm
= +
= +
r x y
r x y
r
r


3. Use the components to find the magnitude and
direction of displacement 1:
( ) ( )
2 2
1
1
1
7.0 cm 3.5 cm 7.8 cm
3.5 cm
tan 27 180 153
7.0 cm
r

= + =
| |
= = + =
|

\


4. Use the components to find the magnitude and
direction of displacement 2:
( ) ( )
2 2
2
1
2
3.5 cm 7.0 cm 7.8 cm
7.0 cm
tan 63
3.5 cm
r

= + =
| |
= =
|
\

Insight: Because the magnitude of a vector depends upon the squares of the components, it does not matter that the x
component of displacement 1 is negative; the displacements still have equal magnitudes.



31. Picture the Problem: The displacement vectors are depicted at right. North is in the
y direction and east is in the x direction.


Strategy: Sum the components of the vectors in order to determine + A B
r r
.
Multiply that vector by 1 in order to reverse its direction. Then find the magnitude
and direction of the reversed vector.

Solution: 1. (a) Add the two displacement
vectors:
( ) ( )
72 m 120 m + = + A B x y
r r

2. Multiply by 1 in order to reverse the
direction of the net displacement and bring the
cat back home:
( ) ( ) ( )
72 m 120 m + = + A B x y
r r


3. Find the magnitude of the desired
displacement:
( ) ( ) ( )
2 2
72 m 120 m 140 m + = + = A B
r r


4. Find the direction of the desired displacement:
1
120 m
tan 59 59 south of east
72 m

| |
= = =
|
\

5. (b) Vector addition is independent of the order in which the addition is accomplished. The initial displacement is the
same, so there is no change in the displacement for the homeward part of the trip.
Insight: In this problem we could claim the cats initial displacement is a single vector with the given components. The
answers wouldnt change, but it would simplify the solution a little bit.




( )
+ A B
r r
x
y
B
r
A
r
72 m O
120 m

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
69
32. Picture the Problem: The two legs of the cats path are indicated at right. North is
in the y direction and east is in the x direction.

Strategy: Determine the displacement from the known vectors that make up the two
legs of the cats journey. Divide the displacement by the total time of travel to find
the average velocity. Use the x and y components of the average velocity to
determine its magnitude and direction.
Solution: 1. (a) Determine the
displacement:
( ) ( )
120 m 72 m = + = + r A B y x
r r
r


2. Divide by the total time (45 min +
17 min = 62 min) to find the average
velocity:
( ) ( )
av
72m 1min 120m 1min

62min 60s 62m 60s
0.019 m/s 0.032 m/s
t
| | | || | | |
= = +
| | | |

\
\ \ \
= +
r
v x y
x y
r
r


3. Determine the magnitude of the
velocity:
2 2
av
m m
0.019 0.032 0.037 m/s
s s
v
| | | |
= + =
| |
\ \


4. Determine the direction of the
velocity:
1
120 m
tan 59 180 121
72 m
121 or 31 west of north

| |
= = + =
|

\
=


Insight: The average speed would be calculated differently:
( )
120 72 m
0.052 m/s
45 17 min 60 s/min
d
s
t
+
= = =
+
. The
average speed is faster than the average velocity because the total distance traveled is larger than the displacement.



33. Picture the Problem: You travel due west for 130 s at 27 m/s then due south at 14 m/s for 62 s.
Strategy: Find the components of the displacement vector. Once the components are known the magnitude and
direction can be easily found. Let north be the positive y direction and east be the positive x direction.
Solution: 1. Find the westward displacement:
( )( ) 27 m/s 130 s 3500 m
x x
r v t = = =
2. Find the southward displacement:
( ) ( ) 14 m/s 62 s 870 m
y y
r v t = = =

3. Find the direction of the displacement: 1 1
870 m
tan tan 14 180 194
3500 m
or 14 south of west
y
x
r
r

| | | |
= = = + =
| |

\
\

4. Find the magnitude of the displacement: ( ) ( )
2 2
3500 m 870 m 3600 m 3.6 km r = + = =
Insight: The 14 refers to the angle below the negative x axis (west) because the argument of the inverse tangent
function is
y x
r r , or south divided by west.







= + r A B
r r
r

x
y
B
r
A
r
72 m O
120 m

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
70
34. Picture the Problem: You travel due east 1500 ft then due north 2500 ft.
Strategy: The components of the displacement are given, from which we can determine the magnitude and direction
fairly easily. The direction of the average velocity will be the same as the direction of the displacement. The magnitude
of the average velocity is the magnitude of the displacement divided by the total time of travel. Let north be the positive
y direction and east be the positive x direction.

Solution: 1. Find the direction of the displacement:
1 1
2500 ft
tan tan 59 north of east
1500 ft
y
x
r
r

| |
| |
= = =
| |
\
\


2. Find the magnitude of the displacement: ( ) ( )
2 2
1500 ft 2500 ft 2900 ft 0.305 m/ft 890 m r = + = =

3. Find the magnitude of the average velocity:
av
890 m
4.9 m/s
3.0 min 60 s/min
r
v
t

= = =


Insight: The 59 refers to the angle above the positive x axis (east) because the argument of the inverse tangent function
is
y x
r r , or north divided by east.

35. Picture the Problem: The jogger runs at 3.25 m/s in a direction 30.0 above the positive x axis.
Strategy: Find the components of the velocity vector according to the method indicated in Figure 3-7(a).

Solution: 1. (a) Find the x component of v
r
:
( ) ( ) 3.25 m/s cos 30.0 2.81 m/s
x
v = =
2. Find the y component of v
r
:
( ) ( ) 3.25 m/s sin 30.0 1.63 m/s
y
v = =
3. (b) If the joggers speed is halved, the direction will remain unchanged but the x and y components will be halved.
Insight: In this case the angle of 30.0 corresponds to the standard angle as indicated in Figure 3-7(a).

36. Picture the Problem: The ball rises straight upward, momentarily comes to rest, and then falls straight downward.
Strategy: After it leaves your hand the only acceleration of the ball is due to gravity, so we expect the answer to be
9.81 m/s
2
. To calculate the acceleration we need only consider the initial and final velocities and the time elapsed.
Because of the symmetry of the situation, the final velocity downward will have the same magnitude as the initial
velocity upward. Apply equation 3-5, taking upward to be the positive direction.

Solution: Apply equation 3-5:
( ) ( )
2
av
4.5 m/s 4.5 m/s
9.8 m/s
0.92 s
f i
t

= = =

v v y y
a y
r r
r

Insight: We saw in Chapter 2 how a uniform acceleration will produce a symmetric trajectory, with the time to rise to
the peak of flight equaling the time to fall back down, and with equal initial and final speeds.

37. Picture the Problem: The skateboarder rolls down the ramp that is inclined 20.0 above the horizontal.
Strategy: To calculate the acceleration we need only consider the initial and final velocities and the time elapsed.
Apply equation 3-5, taking the direction down the ramp to be the positive direction.

Solution: 1. Apply equation 3-5:
( ) ( )
2
av
10.0 m/s 0 m/s
3.33 m/s
3.00 s
f i
v v
a
t

= = =

2. Compare with g sin : ( ) ( )
2 2
sin 9.81 m/s sin 20.0 3.36 m/s g = =
Insight: The two are equal to within rounding errors. Or perhaps there was a small amount of friction between the
skateboard wheels and the ramp. In Chapter 5 well be able to rigorously prove the two are equal using a free body
diagram. See, for instance, Example 5-9.



Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
71
38. Picture the Problem: The skateboarder rolls down the ramp that is inclined 15.0 above the horizontal.
Strategy: The acceleration relates the change in velocity with the time elapsed. Solve equation 3-5 for the final speed,
taking the direction down the ramp to be the positive direction.

Solution: Solve equation 3-5 for
f
v :
( ) ( ) ( )
2
0 9.81 m/s sin 15.0 3.00 s 7.62 m/s
f i
v v a t
(
= + = + =


Insight: Note that when the vector direction doesnt matter (this is essentially a one-dimensional problem) the equation
3-5 looks exactly like equation 2-7. In Chapter 5 well be able to rigorously prove that sin a g = using a free body
diagram. See, for instance, Example 5-9.

39. Picture the Problem: The initial and final displacement vectors are depicted
at right.
Strategy: Use the given formulae to determine the components of the initial
and final positions. Then use those components to find the displacement
vector. Divide the displacement vector by the elapsed time to find the
velocity vector, and then determine its magnitude and direction.
Solution: 1. (a) Find the initial
position vector:
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( )
8
i
8
3.84 10 m cos 0 sin 0
3.84 10 m
= +
=
r x y
x
r




2. Find the arguments of the sine
and cosine functions for t = 7.38
days. Let
6
radians/s 2.46 10

= :
( )( )
6
2.46 10 radians/s 7.38 d 86400 s/d
1.57 radians
t

=
=


3. Find the final position vector:
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( ) ( ) ( )
8
f
8
5 8 8
f
3.84 10 m cos sin
3.84 10 m cos 1.57 radians sin 1.57 radians
3.06 10 m 3.84 10 m 3.84 10 m
t t = +
= +
= +
r x y
x y
r x y y
r
r


4. Find the displacement vector:
( ) ( )
8 8
f i
3.84 10 m 3.84 10 m = = r r r y x
r r r


5. Find the vector
av
v
r
:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
8 8
av
av
3.84 10 m 3.84 10 m
7.38 d 86400 s/d
602 m/s 602 m/s
t
+

= =

= +
x y
r
v
v x y
r
r
r


6. Find the magnitude of
av
v
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
av
602 m/s 602 m/s 852 m/s v = + =

7. Find the direction of
av
v
r
:
av, 1 1
av,
602 m/s
tan tan 45 180 135
602 m/s
y
x
v
v

| |
| |
= = = + = |
|
|

\
\

8. (b) The instantaneous speed of the Moon is greater than the average velocity because the distance traveled is greater
than the displacement in this case.
Insight: If the Moon had completed an entire orbit, instead of just one-quarter of an orbit, its displacement and its
average velocity would have been zero. Its speed remains constant, however, at about 947 m/s using the data given in
this problem. The given data correspond to a coordinate system where the x direction always points towards the center
of the Sun even as the Earth orbits the Sun.





r
r

3.8410
8
m

3.8410
8
m
x
f
r
r

i
r
r
y
O

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
72
40. Picture the Problem: The initial and final velocity vectors are depicted at right.

Strategy: Use the given formulae to determine the components of the initial and final
velocities. Then use those components to find the change in velocity vector. Divide the
change in velocity vector by the elapsed time to find the acceleration vector, and then
determine its magnitude and direction.

Solution: 1. (a) Find the initial
velocity vector:
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( )
i
945 m/s sin 0 cos 0
945 m/s
= +
=
v x y
y
r


2. Find the arguments of the sine
and cosine functions for t = 0.100
days. Let
6
radians/s 2.46 10

= :
( )( )
6
2.46 10 radians/s 0.100 d 86400 s/d
0.0213 radians
t

=
=


3. Find the final position vector: ( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( ) ( )
f
f
945 m/s sin cos
945 m/s sin 0.0213 radians cos 0.0213 radians
20.1 m/s 945 m/s
t t = +
= +
= +
v x y
x y
v x y
r
r


4. Find the acceleration vector:
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
2 f i
20.1 m/s 945 m/s 945 m/s
0.00233 m/s
0.100 d 86400 s/d t
(

= = =

x y y
v v
a x
r r
r


5. (b) Find the arguments of the
sine and cosine functions for
t = 0.0100 days:
( )( )
6
2.46 10 radians/s 0.0100 d 86400 s/d
0.00213 radians
t

=
=


6. Find the final position vector: ( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( ) [ ] [ ] { }
( ) ( )
f
f
945 m/s sin cos
945 m/s sin 0.00213 radians cos 0.00213 radians
2.01 m/s 945 m/s
t t = +
= +
= +
v x y
x y
v x y
r
r


7. Find the acceleration vector:
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
2 f i
2.01 m/s 945 m/s 945 m/s
0.00233 m/s
0.0100 d 86400 s/d t
(

= = =

x y y
v v
a x
r r
r

Insight: The two answers ended up being the same because both time intervals are fairly small. If instead we had
examined an interval of 1.00 days there would have been a y component of v
r
and a slightly different acceleration. In
Chapter 6 we will examine circular motion and find an even easier way to calculate the acceleration of the Moon. The
given data in this problem correspond to a coordinate system where the x direction always points towards the center of
the Sun even as the Earth orbits the Sun.


41. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: Let
pg
= v
r
planes velocity with respect to the ground,
ap
= v
r
attendants
velocity with respect to the plane, and add the vectors according to equation 3-8 to
find
ag
= v
r
attendants velocity with respect to the ground.

Solution: 1. Apply equation 3-8: ( ) ( ) ( )
ag ap pg
ag
1.22 m/s 16.5 m/s 15.3 m/s
15.3 m/s v
= + = + =
=
v v v x x x
r r r

Insight: If the attendant were walking towards the front of the plane, her speed relative to the ground would be
17.7 m/s, slightly faster than the airplanes speed.



v
r

945 m/s
f
v
r

i
v
r
y
O
x
ap
v
r

pg
v
r

ag
v
r

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
73
42. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: The x-component of the velocity was chosen perpendicular to the
motion of the river. Therefore, the motion of the river will not affect the time it
takes to travel across it. Divide the width of the river by the x component of the
boats velocity to find the time it takes to cross the river.

Solution: 1. Find the velocity of
the boat relative to the water:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
bw
6.1 m/s cos 25 6.1 m/s sin 25
5.5 m/s 2.6 m/s
= +
= +
v x y
x y
r


2. Divide the width of the river
by the x component of
bw
v
r

bw,
25 m
4.5 s
5.5 m/s
x
x
t
v
= = =
Insight: In real life the velocity of the boat would not be constant during the trip across the river; the boat would have to
accelerate from rest at one side of the river and then decelerate as it approached the opposite shore, making the travel
time significantly longer than 4.5 s.


43. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: Let
yw
= v
r
your velocity with respect to the walkway,
wg
= v
r
walkways
velocity with respect to the ground, and add the vectors according to equation 3-8 to
find
yg
= v
r
your velocity with respect to the ground. Then find the time it takes you
to travel the 85-m distance.

Solution: 1. Find your velocity
with respect to the walkway:
( )
yw
85 m
1.25 m/s
68 s
x
t
| | | |
= = =
| |

\ \
v x x x
r
2. Apply equation 3-8 to find your
velocity with respect to the ground:
( ) ( ) ( )
yg yw wg
1.25 m/s 2.2 m/s 3.45 m/s = + = + = v v v x x x
r r r


3. Now find the time of travel:
yg
85 m
25 s
3.45 m/s
x
t
v

= = =
Insight: The moving walkway slashed your time of travel from 68 s to 25 s, a factor of 2.7! Note that we bent the
significant figures rules a little bit by not rounding
yw
v
r
to 1.3 m/s. This helped us avoid rounding error.


44. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: Let
yw
= v
r
your velocity with respect to the walkway,
wg
= v
r
walkways
velocity with respect to the ground, and add the vectors according to equation 3-8 to
find
yg
= v
r
your velocity with respect to the ground. Then find the time it takes you
to travel the 85-m distance.

Solution: 1. Find your velocity with respect
to the walkway:
( )
yw
85 m
1.3 m/s
68 s
x
t
| | | |
= = =
| |

\ \
v x x x
r

2. Apply equation 3-8 to find your velocity
with respect to the ground:
( ) ( ) ( )
yg yw wg
1.3 m/s 2.2 m/s 0.9 m/s = + = + = v v v x x x
r r r


3. Now find the time of travel:
yg
85 m
90 s
0.9 m/s
x
t
v

= = =
Insight: Going the wrong way on the moving walkway increases your time of travel from 68 s to about 90 s.


yw
v
r
wg
v
r
yg
v
r

wg
v
r
yg
v
r
yw
v
r
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
74
45. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at
right.


Strategy: Let
pg
= v
r
velocity of the plane relative to the ground,
pa
= v
r

velocity of the plane relative to the air, and
ag
= v
r
velocity of the air
relative to the ground. The drawing at right depicts the vectors added
according to equation 3-8,
pg pa ag
= + v v v
r r r
. Determine the angle of the
triangle from the inverse sine function.

Solution: 1. (a) Use the inverse sine function to find :
ag 1 1
pa
65 km/h
sin sin 11 west of north
340 km/h
v
v

| |
| |
= = = |
|
|
\
\

2. (b) The drawing above depicts the vectors.
3. (c) If the plane reduces its speed but the wind velocity remains the same, the angle found in part (a) should be
increased in order for the plane to continue flying due north.
Insight: If the planes speed were to be reduced to 240 km/h, the required angle would become 16.

46. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.


Strategy: Let
pf
= v
r
the passengers velocity relative to the ferry,
pw
= v
r
the passengers
velocity relative to the water, and
fw
= v
r
the ferrys velocity relative to the water. Apply
equation 3-8 and solve for
fw
v
r
. Once the components of
fw
v
r
are known, its magnitude
and direction can be determined.

Solution: 1. Solve equation 3-8 for
fw
v
r
:
pw pf fw
fw pw pf
= +
=
v v v
v v v
r r r
r r r

2. Determine the components of
fw
v
r
:
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
fw
fw
4.50 m/s sin30 4.50 m/s cos30 1.50 m/s
2.25 m/s 2.40 m/s
= + (

= +
v x y y
v x y
r
r

3. Find the direction of
fw
v
r
:
fw,
1 1
fw,
2.25 m/s
tan tan 43 west of north
2.40 m/s
x
y
v
v

| |
| |
| = = =
|
|
\
\


4. Find the magnitude of
fw
v
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
fw fw, fw,
2.25 m/s 2.40 m/s 3.29 m/s
x y
v v v = + = + =

Insight: If the person were to walk even faster with respect to the ferry, then
fw
v
r
would have to be shorter and point
more in the westerly direction.

47. Picture the Problem: The situation is similar to that depicted in the figure at right,
except the boat is supposed to be a jet ski.
Strategy: Place the x-axis perpendicular to the flow of the river, such that the river is
flowing in the negative y-direction. Let
bw
= v
r
jet skis velocity relative to the water,
bg
= v
r
jet skis velocity relative to the ground, and
wg
= v
r
waters velocity relative to
the ground. Use equation 3-8 to find the vector
bw
v
r
, and then determine its
magnitude.

Solution: 1. Solve eq. 3-8 for
bw
v
r
:
bg bw wg bw bg wg
= + = v v v v v v
r r r r r r

pw
v
r
fw
v
r

pf
v
r


30
E
N
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
75
2. Find the components of
bg
v
r
:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
bg
9.5 m/s cos 20.0 9.5 m/s sin 20.0
8.9 m/s 3.2 m/s
= +
= +
v x y
x y
r


3. Subtract to find
bw
v
r
:
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
bw bg wg
8.9 m/s 3.2 m/s 2.8 m/s
8.9 m/s 6.0 m/s
= = + (

= +
v v v x y y
x y
r r r


4. Find the magnitude of
bw
v
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
bw
8.9 m/s 6.0 m/s 11 m/s v = + =
Insight: Note that the 35 angle is extraneous information for this problem. If we work backwards to find the angle from
the components of
bw
v
r
we get ( )
1
tan 6.0 8.9 34

= = , not exactly 35 due to rounding errors.

48. Picture the Problem: The situation is depicted in the figure at right, except the boat
is supposed to be a jet ski.
Strategy: Place the x-axis perpendicular to the flow of the river, such that the
river is flowing in the negative y-direction. Let
bw
= v
r
jet skis velocity
relative to the water,
bg
= v
r
jet skis velocity relative to the ground, and
wg
= v
r
waters velocity relative to the ground. Set the y component of
bw
v
r

equal to the magnitude of
wg
v
r
so that they cancel, leaving only an x
component of
bg
v
r
. Then determine the angle .

Solution: 1. (a) Set
bw, wg,
0
y y
v v + = and solve for :
( )
bw, bw wg,
wg, 1 1
bw
sin
2.8 m/s
sin sin 13
12 m/s
y y
y
v v v
v
v

= =
| | | |
= = =
| |
\ \


2. (b) Increasing the jet skis speed relative to the water will increase
bw
v and therefore decrease the angle .
Insight: Airplanes must also make heading adjustments like the jet skis in order to fly in a certain direction when there
is a steady wind present.

49. Picture the Problem: The vectors for Jet Ski A and B are depicted
at right. Note that
bw
v
r
has the same magnitude for each jet ski but if
you inspect the diagram for Jet Ski B you can see that
bw bg,B
v v > .

Strategy: Use the x components of the velocities of each jet ski
relative to the ground to determine the time required for each jet ski
to cross the river.
Solution: 1. (a) The time required for each jet ski to cross the river
equals the width of the river divided by the x component of the jet
skis velocity relative to the ground. From the diagrams you can see
that the x component of
bg,A
v
r
equals
bw
v
r
, but that the x component
of
bg,B
v
r
is shorter than
bw
v
r
. Therefore Jet Ski A has a higher velocity in the x direction relative to the ground, and will
cross the river first.

2. (b) Find the ratio of the times:
river
bg, A, bg, B,
bw
river
bg, A, bw
bg, B,
cos35
0.82
x x
A
B x
x
x
v v
v t
x
t v v
v

= = = =

Insight: The ratio is less than one, so
A B
t t < and Jet Ski A reaches the opposite shore first. Remember this the next
time you race jet skis across a flowing river!

bg,A
v
r
wg
v
r
bw
v
r
bg,B
v
r
wg
v
r
bw
v
r
Jet Ski A
Jet Ski B
35
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
76
50. Picture the Problem: The ramp is depicted at right.


Strategy: Use the inverse sine function to find the angle using the
pertinent sides of the triangle.

Solution: 1. Write the definition of the sine function:
height
sin
length
y
r
= =


2. Use the inverse sine function to find the angle:
1
3.00 ft
sin 17.5
10.0 ft

| |
= =
|
\

Insight: Finding a right triangle in any physics problem allows you to use the arsenal of trigonometric tools to find
various other quantities of interest. Learn to find them!



51. Picture the Problem: The vector components of A
r
and B
r
are specified in the problem. Measure positive angles to be
counterclockwise from the positive x axis.

Strategy: Multiply each component of A
r
by 2 and add them to B
r
. Use the resulting components to determine the
direction and magnitude of the sum.

Solution: 1. Multiply and add the components: ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 12.1 m 32.2 m 24.2 m 32.2 m + = + = + A B x y x y
r r


2. Find the angle:
1
32.2 m
tan 53.1 or 307
24.2 m

| |
= =
|
\


3. Find the magnitude of the vector sum: ( ) ( )
2 2
2 24.2 m 32.2 m 40.3 m + = + = A B
r r

Insight: Once the components of the vectors are known it is a fairly straightforward procedure to determine the scalar
product, sum, magnitude, and direction.



52. Picture the Problem: The vector components of A B
r r
, C
r
, and + + A B C
r r r
are specified in the problem.

Strategy: Use the given vector components to write three equations and solve them for A
r
and B
r
.

Solution: 1. Add the three given equations to solve for A
r
:
( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
13.8 m
51.4 m
62.2 m
Add: 2 99.8 m 49.9 m
+ + =
=
=
= =
A B C x
A B x
C x
A x A x
r r r
r r
r
r r


2. Now substitute the known vector A
r
into the second
equation:
( ) ( )
( )
49.9 m 51.4 m
1.5 m
=
=
x B x
B x
r
r
Insight: None of the vectors have any y component. If they did, the problem would be a bit more difficult but still
solvable as long as the number of unknowns is less than or equal to the number of equations.







3.00 ft
10.0 ft
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
77
53. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are illustrated
at right.

Strategy: The x component of the balls velocity with respect to the train
must be equal and opposite to the trains velocity in order for Gary to see
the ball rise straight upward. That fact, together with the angle of the
throw, can be used to find the speed
bt
v of Michelles throw as well as the
speed
bg
v of the ball according to Gary.
Solution: 1. (a) Michelle must have thrown the ball toward the rear of the
train so that
tg
v
r
could cancel out the x component of
bt
v
r
and leave
bg
v
r

completely vertical.
2. (b) Set the magnitudes of
the x components of
bt
v
r

and
tg
v
r
and solve for
bt
v :
( )
( ) ( )
bt, bt tg,
tg,
bt
cos 55.0
8.20 m/s
14.3 m/s
cos 55.0 cos 55.0
x x
x
v v v
v
v
= =
= = =



3. (c) The magnitude of
bg
v equals the y component of
bt
v
r
:
( ) ( )
bg
14.3 m/s sin 55.0 11.7 m/s v = =
Insight: Gary and Michelle disagree on the path taken by the ball, but each agree on the acceleration and time of flight.
Well learn more about relative motion in Chapter 29.


54. Picture the Problem: The displacement vectors of the Hummer are depicted at right.


Strategy: Find the displacement vectors A
r
and B
r
using the given speed and time
information. Use those vector components to find the final displacement vector C
r
.
Divide the displacement vector C
r
by the time in order to find the direction and speed
of travel on the final leg. Let north point in the y direction and east in the x direction.

Solution: 1. Find the vector A
r
:
( ) ( )
( )( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
sin 25 cos 25
6.5 km/h 15 min 1 h/60 min
sin 25 cos 25
0.69 km 1.5 km
A A A A
v t v t = +
=
+ (

= +
A x y
x y
A x y
r
r


2. Find the vector B
r
: ( )( ) ( )
12 km/h 7.5 min 1 h/60 min 1.5 km
B B
v t = = = B x x x
r


3. Find the vector C
r
:
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )

0.69 1.5 km 1.5 0 km
0.81 km 1.5 km
x x y y
A B A B = + = + +
= + +
= +
C A B x y
x y
C x y
r r r
r


4. Find the direction angle :
1 1
1.5 km
tan tan 62 south of west
0.81 km
y
x
C
C

| |
| |
= = =
| |

\
\


5. Find the speed of travel:
( ) ( )
2 2
0.81 km 1.5 km
4.6 km/h
22 min 1 h/60 min
C
v
t
+
= = =

C
r

Insight: Once the components of the vectors are known it is a fairly straightforward procedure to determine the scalar
product, sum, magnitude, and direction.

x
y
B
r
A
r
O

C
r
25
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
78
55. Picture the Problem: The three-dimensional vector is depicted in the diagram at
right.


Strategy: Determine the z component of A
r
by applying the cosine function to the
right triangle formed in the z direction. Then find the projection of A
r
onto the xy
plane (A sin 55) in order to find the x and y components of A
r
.

Solution: 1. Find the z component of A
r
: ( ) 65 m cos55 37 m
z
A = =


2. Find the projection onto the xy plane: ( ) sin55 65 m sin55
xy
A A = =

3. Find the x component of A
r
: ( ) 65 m sin55 cos 35 44 m
x
A = = (


4. Find the y component of A
r
: ( ) 65 m sin55 sin35 31 m
y
A = = (

Insight: A knowledge of right triangles can help you find the components of even a three dimensional vector. Once the
components are known, then addition and subtraction of vectors become straightforward procedures.

56. Picture the Problem: The football maintains its horizontal velocity but
increases its vertical velocity in the downward direction.


Strategy: Find the vertical velocity
y
v of the football after 1.75 s assuming
an initial
y
v of zero. The football maintains its horizontal velocity
0
v , so the
two velocities form the x and y components of the balls velocity at 1.75 s.
Use the components to find the magnitude and direction of the velocity.

Solution: 1. (a) Use equation 3-6 to
find the components of
f
v
r
:
( )
( ) ( )
0 2
m m
16.6 9.81 1.75 s
s s
16.6 m/s 17.2 m/s
f
t
| | | |
= + = +
| |
\ \
=
v v a x y
x y
r r r


2. (b) Find the magnitude of
f
v
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
16.6 m/s 17.2 m/s 23.9 m/s v = + =

3. Find the direction of
f
v
r
:
1 1
17.2 m/s
tan tan 46.0 or 46.0 below horizontal
16.6 m/s
y
x
v
v

| |
= = =
|
\

Insight: The motion of the football will be discussed in more detail in Chapter 4 when we consider projectile motion.

57. Picture the Problem: The path of the football traces out a parabola as the velocity increases at a constant rate in the
downward direction, but the velocity in the horizontal direction remains constant.
Strategy: Use equation 3-6 to find the average acceleration over a time interval t . Then substitute the various time
intervals into the formula to find
av
a
r
.

Solution: 1. (a) Find the average
acceleration as a function of the time
interval t .
( ) ( ) { }
( ) ( ) { }
( )
( )
av
2 2
2
2
av
16.6 m/s 9.81 m/s ( ) 16.6 m/s 9.81 m/s
9.81 m/s
9.81 m/s
t t t
t t
t t t
t
t
t
+

= =

( (
+

=

(


= =

v v v
a
x y x y
y
a y
r r r
r
r


2. Determine
av
a
r
for t = 1.00 s:
( )
2
av
9.81 m/s = a y
r


3. (b) Determine
av
a
r
for t = 2.50 s:
( )
2
av
9.81 m/s = a y
r


4. (c) Determine
av
a
r
for t = 5.00 s:
( )
2
av
9.81 m/s = a y
r

Insight: The acceleration due to gravity is constant, so the average acceleration is exactly the same for any time interval.

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
79
58. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are illustrated at right.


Strategy: Let
1g
= v
r
velocity of plane 1 relative to the ground,
2g
= v
r
velocity of plane 2
relative to the ground,
12
= v
r
velocity of plane 1 relative to plane 2, and
21
= v
r
velocity of
plane 2 relative to plane 1 (not pictured). Let north be along the positive y-axis, east along
the positive x axis. Use equation 3-8 to find the components of
12
v
r
. Use the components
to find the magnitude and direction.

Solution: 1. (a) Find
12
v
r
by
applying equation 3-8:
1g 12 2g 12 1g 2g
= + = v v v v v v
r r r r r r

2. Use the given angles to find the
components of
12
v
r
:
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
12
12 m/s
7.5 m/s cos 20 7.5 m/s sin 20
7.0 m/s 9.4 m/s
=
+ (

= +
v y
x y
x y
r


3. Find the direction of
12
v
r
:
12, 1 1
12,
9.4 m/s
tan tan 53 north of east
7.0 m/s
y
x
v
v

| |
| |
= = = |
|
|
\
\


4. Find the magnitude of
12
v
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
12
7.0 m/s 9.4 m/s 12 m/s v = + =

5. (b) Since
21 12
= v v
r r
the vector
21
v
r
has the same magnitude as
12
v
r
but points in the opposite direction. Therefore,
21
12 m/s at 53 south of west. = v
r


Insight: There are other ways to approach this problem. For instance, in step 1 we could say
12 1g g2
= + v v v
r r r
and then
use the fact that
g2 2g
= v v
r r
to write
12 1g 2g
= v v v
r r r
. Its a little awkward to use
g2
v
r
, which represents the velocity of
the ground relative to plane 2, but learning to think about velocity from both perspectives can help you solve difficult
vector motion problems.



59. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are illustrated at right.

Strategy: To use the graphical method you must make a scale drawing of the
vectors and then measure the vector sum with a ruler. To use the component method
you must independently add the x and y components of each vector.
Solution: 1. (a) Using the scale drawing above
you can measure the length of the vector sum:
38 ft r
r

2. (b) Independently add the x and y
components of the vector sum:
( )
( )
( ) ( )
0 45 ft 35 ft 0
51ft 0 0 13 ft
10 ft 38 ft
= + + +
= + +
+ + +
= +
r A B C D
x
y
r x y
r r r r
r
r


3. Find the magnitude of the sum: ( ) ( )
2 2
10 ft 38 ft 39 ft = + = r
r


4. Find the direction of the vector sum:
1 1
10 ft
tan tan 15 clockwise from
38 ft
x
y
r
r

| |
| |
= = = |
|
|

\
\
A
r

Insight: When adding vectors graphically you must always ensure you are adding them head-to-tail. The vector sum is
a vector that starts at the beginning of the first vector ( A
r
) and ends at the end of the last vector ( D
r
).



= + + + r A B C D
r r r r
r

D
r
B
r
C
r
A
r

12
v
r

1g
v
r
x
y
2g
v
r

O

20

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
80
60. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.


Strategy: Use the component method of vector subtraction to find v
r
. The average
acceleration is then v
r
divided by the time elapsed.
Solution: 1. Find the
components of
i
v
r
:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
i
4.40 m/s cos37.5 4.40 m/s sin37.5
3.49 m/s 2.68 m/s
= +
= +
v x y
x y
r


2. Find the components of
f
v
r
:
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
f
6.25 m/s cos 56.0 6.25 m/s sin56.0
3.49 m/s 5.18 m/s
=
= +
v x y
x y
r

3. Subtract the vectors:
( ) ( )
( )
3.49 3.49 m/s 5.18 2.68 m/s
7.86 m/s
f i
= =
=
v v v x y
y
r r r


4. Divide by the time elapsed:
( )
( )
av
7.86 m/s
3.93 m/s
2.00 s t

= = =

y
v
a y
r
r


Insight: Subtracting vectors A B
r r
is the same as adding B
r
to A
r
. Note that acceleration can change both the
magnitude and the direction of the velocity vectors.

61. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.


Strategy: Let
bg
= v
r
velocity of the bus relative to the ground,
rg
= v
r
velocity of the raindrops
relative to the ground, and
rb
= v
r
velocity of the raindrops relative to the bus. Apply equation
3-8 to form a right triangle of the velocity vectors as shown in the diagram. Use the right
triangle to find the ratio
rg bg
v v and the value of
rg
v .
Solution: 1. (a) Write out equation 3-8:
rg rb bg
= + v v v
r r r

2. The vectors form a right triangle because the rain falls
vertically and the bus travels horizontally. Use the
triangle indicated in the diagram to find the ratio:
rg
rb
bg rb
cos 1 1
3.7
sin tan tan15
v
v
v v

= = = =

3. (b) Use the ratio to find
rg
v :
( )
rg bg
3.7 3.7 18 m/s 67 m/s v v = = =
Insight: The rain speed is a bit unrealistic; typical values for large raindrops are 10 m/s or about 20 mi/h.

62. Picture the Problem: The hands of the clock are depicted at right.

Strategy: Find the angles and that correspond to the time of 4:12 and
then use the angles to find the components of the position vectors for the
tips of the hands. Then subtract the position vectors to find the tip-to-tip
distance.

Solution: 1. Find the angle :
12 min
360 72
60 min
= =

2. Find the angle :
12
60
4
360 126 90 36
12
= = =

3. Find the components of M
r
:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
sin cos
14 ft sin 72 14 ft cos 72 13 ft 4.3 ft
M M = +
= + = +
M x y
x y x y
r

= r M H
r r
r

M
r

H
r


x
y
f
v
r

i
v
r

i
v
r

37.5
56.0
v
r
bg
v
r
rb
v
r
rg
v
r

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
81

4. Find the components of H
r
:
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
cos sin
9.0 ft cos 36 9.0 ft sin36 7.3 ft 5.3 ft
H H =
= = +
H x y
x y x y
r

5. Find the components of r
r
:
( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
13 7.3 ft 4.3 5.3 ft
6 ft 9.6 ft
= = +
= +
r M H x y
x y
r r
r


6. Find the magnitude of r
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
6 ft 9.6 ft 11 ft r = + =
Insight: The tip-to-tip distance changes from 5.0 ft (when the hands are aligned) to 23 ft (when the hands are opposite
each other) during the course of a day.

63.
Picture the Problem: The velocities of the surfer
ss
v
r
and the waves
ws
v
r

relative to the shore are shown in the diagram at right.

Strategy: Set the y component of the surfers velocity equal to the velocity
of the waves, and solve for the angle . Then apply equation 3-8 to find the
surfers velocity relative to the wave.

Solution: 1. (a) Set
ss, ws y
v v = :
ss ws
1 1 ws
ss
sin
1.3 m/s
sin sin 10
7.2 m/s
v v
v
v

=
| |
| |
= = =
| |
\
\


2. (b) Apply equation 3-8: [ ]
ss sw ws sw ss ws ss ss ws
cos sin v v v = + = = + v v v v v v x y y
r r r r r r


3. Since
ss ws
sin v v = , the
y components cancel out:
( ) ( )
sw ss
cos 7.2 m/s cos10 7.1 m/s v = = = v x x x
r

4. (c) If the y component stays the same, but the vector increases in length, the angle it makes with the x-axis must
decrease.
Insight: In this problem we assumed that the water is at rest relative to the shore, so that the surfers speed relative to
the water is the same as the surfers speed relative to the shore.

64. Picture the Problem: The diagram for Example 3-2 is shown at right. The
width of the river along the x direction is 25.0 m.


Strategy: Let
bw
= v
r
boats velocity relative to the water,
bg
= v
r
boats
velocity relative to the ground, and
wg
= v
r
waters velocity relative to the
ground. Set the y component of
bw
v
r
equal to the magnitude of
wg
v
r
so that
they cancel, leaving only an x component of
bg
v
r
. Then determine the angle .

Solution: 1. (a) Set
bw, wg,
0
y y
v v + = and solve for :
( )
bw, bw wg,
wg, 1 1
bw
sin
1.4 m/s
sin sin 13
6.1 m/s
y y
y
v v v
v
v

= =
| | | |
= = =
| |
\ \

2. (b) Since the y components cancel, it follows that
the x component of
bw
v
r
is the same as
bg
v
r
:
( )
bg bw
cos 6.1 m/s cos13 5.9 m/s v v = = =

3. Now find the time to cross the river:
bg
25.0 m
4.2 s
5.9 m/s
x
t
v

= = =
4. (c) If the speed of the boat is increased, it should make its heading more downstream in order that its y component
remains 1.4 m/s and that it still lands directly across the river from its starting point.
Insight: Airplanes must also make heading adjustments like the jet skis in order to fly in a certain direction when there
is a steady wind present.

shore
ss
v
r
ws
v
r

x
y

Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
82
65. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: Because 0, + + = A B C
r r r
, the x and y components of the vectors must
independently sum to zero. Since A
r
has no y component, we can use the known
y component of C
r
to find the y component of B
r
. The known angle that B
r

makes with the x axis will yield B
x
and give us a way to find the length of A
r
.
Solution: 1. Set the y components
equal to zero:
( )
( )
0 sin 40.0 0
15 m sin 40.0 9.64 m
y y y y y y
y
A B C B C A C
B
+ + = = =
= =

2. Determine B
x
using the tangent
function:
9.64 m
tan30.0 16.7 m
tan30.0 tan30.0
y y
x
x
B B
B
B
= = = =



3. Find A
x
and then A
r
:
( ) ( ) 0 16.7 m 15 m cos 40.0 28 m
28 m
x x x x x x
A B C A B C + + = = = =
= A
r

4. Find the magnitude of B
r
:
( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
16.7 m 9.64 m 19 m
x y
B B B = + = + =

Insight: We kept an extra significant figure when calculating the components of B
r
in order to avoid rounding error.

66. Picture the Problem: The vectors involved in this problem are depicted at right.

Strategy: Let
1g
= v
r
velocity of boat 1 relative to the ground,
2g
= v
r
velocity of boat 2
relative to the ground,
12
= v
r
velocity of boat 1 relative to boat 2. Let north be along the
positive y-axis, east along the positive x axis. Use equation 3-8 to find the components of
2g
v
r
, and use the components to find its magnitude and direction.
Solution: 1. Apply equation
3-8 to find
2g
v
r
:
( )
( )
( )
( ) ( )
1g 12 2g 2g 1g 12
2g
2g

2.30 m/s sin 40.0
0.750 m/s
2.30 m/s cos 40.0
1.48 m/s 1.01 m/s
= + =
(
=
(
+
(

= +
v v v v v v
x
v y
y
v x y
r r r r r r
r
r


2. Find the magnitude of
2g
v
r
: ( ) ( )
2 2
2g
1.48 m/s 1.01 m/s 1.79 m/s v = + =

3. Find the direction of
2g
v
r
:
1
1.01 m/s
tan 34.3 south of west
1.48 m/s

| |
= =
|

\

Insight: If you pay attention carefully to the subscripts, equation 3-8 can help you solve complex relative motion
problems like this one. It is also helpful to draw a diagram as well. Then you can visually check your answer.

67. Picture the Problem: The diagram for Example 3-2 is shown at right.


Strategy: Let
bw
= v
r
boats velocity relative to the water,
bg
= v
r
boats
velocity relative to the ground, and
wg
= v
r
waters velocity relative to the
ground. Set the y component of
bw
v
r
equal to the magnitude of
wg
v
r
so that
they cancel, leaving only an x component of
bg
v
r
. Then determine the angle .
12
v
r

1g
v
r
x
y
2g
v
r O

40.0
C
r
x
y
B
r
A
r
O
30.0
40.0
Chapter 3: Vectors in Physics James S. Walker, Physics, 3
rd
Edition

2007 Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. This material is protected under all copyright laws as they
currently exist. No portion of this material may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher.
83

Solution: 1. (a) Set
bw, wg,
0
y y
v v + = and solve for :
( )
bw, bw wg,
wg, 1 1
bw
sin
1.4 m/s
sin sin 12 upstream
7.0 m/s
y y
y
v v v
v
v

= =
| | | |
= = =
| |
\ \

2. (b) If the speed of the boat is increased, it should make its heading more downstream in order that its y component
remains 1.4 m/s and that it still lands directly across the river from its starting point. Therefore the angle needed to go
directly across the river will decrease.
Insight: Airplanes must also make heading adjustments like the jet skis in order to fly in a certain direction when there
is a steady wind present.

68. Picture the Problem: The diagram for Example 3-2 is shown at right.

Strategy: Find the angle that
bg
v
r
makes with the positive x axis by using
the coordinates of the dock (the displacement and velocity vectors are
parallel for uniform motion). Apply equation 3-8 to determine the
relationship between
bg
v
r
and
bw
v
r
. Solve the two equations with two
unknowns to find the angle . Then the magnitude of
bg
v
r
can be found
from its known components.
Solution: 1. (a) Because the displacement
and velocity vectors are parallel, the ratios
of their components are equal:
bg,
bg,
28 m
55 m
y y
x x
v r
v r

= =

2. Write equation 3-8 in component form:
[ ]
bg bw wg
bg, bg, bw bw wg
cos sin
x y
v v v v v
= +
+ = +
v v v
x y x y y
r r r


3. Independently equate the x and y
components:
bg, bw
bg, bw wg
cos
sin
x
y
v v
v v v

=
=


4. Divide the y equation by the x equation:
bg, bw wg
bg, bw
sin
cos
y
x
v v v
v v

=
5. Square both sides to get everything in
terms of sin . The units of m/s apply to
each of the velocities, but are omitted at
right in order to save space:
( )
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
( ) ( )
2
2 2 2 2 2 2
bg, bw wg bw wg bw wg bw wg
2 2 2 2
bg, bw bw
2
2 2 2
2 2 2
sin 2 sin sin 2 sin
cos 1 sin
6.7 sin 2 1.4 6.7 sin 1.4
28
55 6.7 6.7 sin
y
x
v v v v v v v v v
v v v

| | + +
= = |
|

\
+
| |
=
|
\

6. Rearrange the equation into one that is
quadratic in sin :
2 2
2
11.6 11.6sin 44.9sin 18.8sin 1.96
0 56.5sin 18.8sin 9.64


= +
=


7. Apply the quadratic formula.
( ) ( )( )
( )
( )
2
1
18.8 18.8 4 56.5 9.64
sin 0.279, 0.612
2 56.5
sin 0.612 38 upstream

= =
= =


8. (b) Now find the components of
bg
v
r
:
( )
( )
bg, bw
bg, bw wg
cos 6.7 m/s cos38 5.3 m/s
sin 6.7 m/s sin38 1.4 m/s 2.7 m/s
x
y
v v
v v v

= = =
= = =


9. Use the components to find
bg
v : ( ) ( )
2 2
2 2
bg bg, bg,
5.3 m/s 2.7 m/s 5.9 m/s
x y
v v v = + = + =

Insight: While the boat is pointed 38 upstream, it is actually traveling ( )
1
tan 2.7 5.3 27

= upstream of the positive x

axis due to the water flow. Notice that we get the same angle for the displacement vector ( )
1
tan 28 m 55 m 27

= .