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Direction of a Vector definitions Flashcards

Direction of a Vector definitions
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  • Vector
    A quantity with both magnitude and direction, often represented as an arrow in a coordinate system.
  • Direction
    The angle measured from the positive x-axis to a vector, indicating its orientation in the plane.
  • Magnitude
    The length or size of a vector, representing how much of the quantity is present.
  • Component
    A part of a vector along a specific axis, typically described as x and y values in a coordinate system.
  • X Component
    The horizontal part of a vector, found by multiplying the magnitude by the cosine of its direction angle.
  • Y Component
    The vertical part of a vector, found by multiplying the magnitude by the sine of its direction angle.
  • Inverse Tangent
    A trigonometric function used to determine the angle whose tangent is a given value, often for finding vector direction.
  • Quadrant
    One of four regions in the coordinate plane, determined by the signs of the x and y components.
  • SOHCAHTOA
    A mnemonic for remembering trigonometric ratios: sine, cosine, and tangent, useful for right triangle calculations.
  • Radian
    A unit for measuring angles, where one full circle equals 2π radians.
  • Degree
    A unit for measuring angles, where one full circle equals 360 units.
  • Positive X-Axis
    The reference direction from which angles are typically measured in standard position.
  • Trigonometric Function
    A mathematical function such as sine, cosine, or tangent, used to relate angles to side lengths in triangles.
  • Unit Circle
    A circle with radius one, centered at the origin, used to define trigonometric values for all angles.
  • Right Triangle
    A triangle with one 90-degree angle, often used to visualize vector components and directions.