Vectors and Motion in Two Dimensions

Flashcards on Vectors and Motion in Two Dimensions

Vector

A quantity with both a size (magnitude) and a direction.

Displacement Vector

Straight-line connection from the initial position to the final position, regardless of the actual path.

Net Displacement

The net result of the hiker’s having first displacement, then displacement.

Resultant Vector

The sum of two vectors.

Multiplying a vector by a positive scalar

Another vector of different magnitude but pointing in the same direction.

Zero Vector

A vector having zero length.

Coordinate System

An artificially imposed grid that you place on a problem in order to make quantitative measurements.

Component Vectors

New vectors parallel to the axes; vector sum of the two component vectors.

Projectile

Object that moves in two dimensions under the influence of gravity and nothing else.

Range of a Projectile

The horizontal distance traveled by a projectile.

Uniform Circular Motion

Motion at a constant speed but in a continuously changing direction.

Centripetal Acceleration

Acceleration that always points directly toward the center of a circle.