Question

You measured the direction of the analytical resultant relative to the x axis. Would the vector components change if you had used a different reference axis? Would the magnitude of the resultant change? Would its direction change? Explain. Write out your answer in a clear and well supported paragraph.

Answer 1

Yes, the vector components change if we use a different reference axis. This is because component of a vector along an axis is nothing but it's projection on that axis, so if we choose a new axis other than the older one (the new axis is not parallel to older one), definitely that will change the component. No, the magnitude of the resultant does not change when we choose different coordinates system. In fact, magnitude of any vector is a scalar quantity and a scalar does not change even if we choose different reference axis. Indeed, when we choose different axis system which is not parallel to the original one then the direction of the vector can also be different in the axis system. This simply follows from the fact that the component of the vector changes.