Vectors are quantities that are fully described by both a magnitude and a direction.

Force vectors like the one shown above are said to be two dimensional force vectors. You can think of them as
forces that have a part that pushes right or left, and that have another part that pushes up or down. These parts
of the force are called the components of the force. The component that pushes right or left is called the xcomponent, and the part that pushes up or down is called the y-component.

ector and scalar

a. 5 m
b. 30 m/sec, East
c. 5 mi., North
d. 20 degrees Celsius
e. 256 bytes
f. 4000 Calories

An object is pushed across a table top with a force of 16.6 N directed 32.7 degrees S of E. What are the x- and ycomponents of this force?
Here is the diagram:

This is the solution:

Solving for the x-component, Fx:

Right triangle trigonometry: The cosine of an acute

interior angle of a right triangle is equal to the length
of the adjacent side to the angle divided by the length

of the hypotenuse.

Use the length of the force vectors as the lengths of

the adjacent side and hypotenuse. Fx is the adjacent
side, F is the hypotenuse.

Algebra: Multiply both sides by F.

Algebra: F's cancel on the right side.

Algebra: Switch left and right sides.

Plug in values.

Cosine of 32.7 degrees is 0.8415.

Multiply, result stated in significant figures.

Final result stated with units. Note the positive value of

the final result. It is positive because this is an xcomponent, and in the diagram it is aimed to the right.
As usual with numbers, the plus sign is optional.

Solving for the y-component, Fy:

Right triangle trigonometry: The sine of an acute interior

angle of a right triangle is equal to the length of the
opposite side to the angle divided by the length of the
hypotenuse.

Use the length of the force vectors as the lengths of the

opposite side and hypotenuse. Fy is the opposite side, F
is the hypotenuse.

Algebra: Multiply both sides by F.

Algebra: F's cancel on the right side.

Algebra: Switch left and right sides.

Plug in values.

Sine of 32.7 degrees is 0.5402.

Multiply, result stated in significant figures.

Final result stated with units. Note the negative value of

the final result. It is negative because this is an ycomponent, and in the diagram it is aimed down.

The sign of the components

The x-component of the force vector can be positive or negative.

If it points to the right, it is positive.

If it points to the left, it is negative.

The y-component of the force vector can be positive or negative.

If it points up, it is positive.

If it points down, it is negative.