Length-Of-A-Vector Edexcel Higher

Length of a vector

How do I find the magnitude of a vector?

• The magnitude of a vector is its length (distance)

  • It is also called the modulus

  • This is always a positive value

  • The direction of the vector is irrelevant

• The magnitude of is written

  • The magnitude of a is written |a|

• Depending on the use of the vector, the magnitude of a vector represents different quantities

  • For velocity, magnitude would be speed

  • For a force, magnitude would be the strength of the force (in Newtons)

• In component form, the magnitude is the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle

  • Use Pythagoras’ theorem to find the magnitude

  • The magnitude of

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